Heading out as a family can be fun for everyone, with many local hotspots offering accommodations and resources for special needs and sensory sensitivities. Here’s a helpful list to make planning for everyone easier.
Cincinnati Museum Center
Quiet zones are located throughout the building, including the nursing rooms on the mezzanine and lower level and the parent resource room. These zones are equipped with a minky-covered 5-pound weighted blanket, noise-reducing earmuffs, fidgets and more.
Cincinnati Zoo
The Zoo offers a calming room and sensory-friendly family restroom, adult-sized changing tables, sensory maps, fidgets, noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses and more. Many employees have gone through training to promote inclusion.
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Sensory Sunday hours are offered one Sunday per month with adjusted lighting, sound, programs and trained staff. Support backpacks are available on Sensory Sundays and during normal operating hours.
Cincinnati Parks
Everybody’s Treehouse in Mt. Airy Forest is a universally accessible treehouse; the Bettman Sensory Garden and Pathway in O’Bryonville includes accessible walkways, an overlook and raised planting beds and accessible playgrounds are available at many of the parks.
Five Rivers Metroparks
Accessible paths are available at many of the parks, along with fishing piers at Possum Creek and Carriage Hill plus a wheelchair-accessible ice skating rink in winter at RiverScape.
Walmart
Everyday shopping is made easier with sensory-friendly hours from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily. During that time the lights are dimmed, the radio turned off and a static image plays on the TVs.
