It’s a hot and humid Thursday toward the end of the Missouri State Fair, and the smells of fried food and the sounds of livestock fill the air.
Walking onto the carnival midway though, some things are noticeably absent – the lights on the rides are off, no loud music is playing, and the carnival game and ride operators aren’t calling out to patrons.
For the second year, the fair provided “sensory friendly” carnival hours – where they turned down the intensity of the offerings. It’s aimed at people who might be overwhelmed by the usual hustle and bustle of the Fair.
Graham Galose is 10 years old, and he came to the fair with his cousin Ainsley, his aunt and his grandmother. He said they were there for the rides, and one of his favorites was the smaller roller coaster.
Laura Ash, Graham’s aunt, said the family planned on coming to the Fair anyway, but it was nice to know that people who get overstimulated were being considered.
Luckily though: “He seems to be unaffected by any of it. He's enjoying it all, but it is nice,” Ash said. “The lights and the sound is, kind of, it's a little calmer.”
This afternoon of less stimulation is just one of the efforts the Missouri State Fair and the Center for Human Services, the sensory & accessibility partner of the fair, put into place this year.
The Center also provided matting for the Grandstand track to make concerts and shows more accessible to people with mobility aids.
They produced an accessible map of the fair that included low traffic routes, accessible bathrooms and adult changing stations. And they had a Sensory and Accessibility Resource Center on the grounds.
This is the second year for the resource center, but it’s first year in a physical building with air-conditioning. Inside, it’s very quiet and cool, and noise canceling headphones and bottles of water are available.
The room is separated into four sections marked “calm” or “sensory” where people can “return to baseline.”
“We have a calm corner. We have a little swing. We have a mat in there. We have little pillows you can sit there. We have sensory bins with different fidgets,” Marissa Ivie, the Director of Outreach and Communication for the Center for Human Services for the Center for Human Services.
“We have an accessible chair over here in the corner that people can sit down, get out of their wheelchair if needed.”
The Center for Human Services is a disability services provider that covers 49 Missouri counties.
Ivie said they gathered feedback from fairgoers in the past to see what people wanted to make the fair more accessible, and this has led to improvements such as the “sensory friendly” afternoon at the carnival and a new paved parking lot near the main gate.
Ivie added there’s many people – beyond those diagnosed with autism or with general sensory issues – who would enjoy a calmer, quieter environment at the Fair.
“What we want to do is make this fair accessible to all, not just you and I,” Ivie said. “I mean really, adding these resources to all Missourians and making sure that they have fun is definitely our goal.
Back on the carnival Midway, Graham and his family are ready to head to their next ride, but Grandma Lynn Hendrick holds back a step. She said three of her brothers have autism and she worked in special education before she retired.
“Some kids really get stirred up, or they can't enjoy an activity when there's so much light and sound going on,” Hendrick said. “So yeah, I think this is a great idea, and I have a feeling that the more you advertise this, the more families with special needs will take part in this.”
Nearly 500 people used the Sensory and Accessibility Resource Center this year, and it is slated to return next year.
For a full transcript of the broadcast version of this story, click here.
