A partnership between the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the Acres Project is working to make Centre County more welcoming and accessible to neurodiverse individuals and their families.
The HVAB has sponsored the production of 100 sensory comfort kits to help expand the Acres Project’s Sensory Friendly Centre County initiative to more restaurants, entertainment venues and other public spaces. Each bag contains items to to help individuals with a sensory processing disorder feel more comfortable in public settings.
Sensory processing disorders affect how the brain processes and responds to sensory input. Affected individuals may be oversensitive or undersensitive to certain stimuli, which can cause anxiety, sensory overload or even physical pain, making everyday activities like shopping or eating at a restaurant difficult, according to the Acres Project, a Centre County nonprofit that bridges gaps in services for neurodivergent people.
According to a 2017 National Institutes of Health study, estimates indicate up to 16.5% of the general population experience sensory processing disorders. Those estimates are much higher for individuals with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, though not all people with those conditions experience a sensory processing disorder.
“We applaud the Acres Project for the tremendous work the organization does serving neurodivergent individuals,” Fritz Smith, HVAB president and CEO, said in a statement. “With our commitment to fostering an inclusive destination, we saw a need to get more establishments, hospitality businesses in particular, to participate in the Sensory Friendly Centre County initiative.”
For the HVAB, the expanded initiative will “help to improve the experience for a segment of our visitors, as well as for residents,” Smith said. The launch comes during National Tourism & Travel Week and just ahead of an influx of visitors for Penn State commencement, as well as at a time when people are making plans for summer trips.
Each sensory comfort kit comes with earmuffs for those sensitive to sound, a coloring book to promote mindfulness and help pass the time while, Play-Doh for squeezing as a means to relieve stress and stimulate tactile senses and fidget toys, which help to self-sooth and regulate emotions.
Bellamarie Bregar, Acres Project founder and executive director, said the kits allow families to participate, or participate long, in activities that they might not otherwise be able to because of sensory overload.
“They help reduce anxiety in stressful environments and help manage sensory overload that may end in meltdowns,” Bregar said in a statement.
Participating businesses also will receive a window-cling for customers to identify them as a sensory-friendly establishment.
The launch of the expansion of the initiative was held at The Corner Room in State College on Monday morning. A list of businesses currently participating in the program can be found at acresproject.org/sensory-friendly-centre-county.
Hospitality businesses interested in a sensory comfort kit should email LesleyK@happyvalley.com or JosiahJ@happyvalley.com. Community organizations wishing to participate can contact the Acres Project at theacresproject@gmail.com or 814-777-1336.
Sensory comfort kits also will be available at the HVAB’s three visitor centers: 204 W. Beaver Ave. in State College; the Bellefonte Train Station; and the Moshannon Valley Heritage Center at 22 N. Front St. in Philipsburg.
Bregar said she appreciates the HVAB’s effort to help expand the initiative.
“Through this partnership, more businesses and organizations will be able to request comfort kits that can be given to guests/customers if ever needed,” she said.
