Akron Zoo is first to land 'Age-Friendly Seal of Approval' from Better Business Bureau

Summit County is looking to be the most age-friendly county in Ohio.

And the Akron Zoo is the first recipient of the so-called Akron-Summit Age-Friendly Seal of Approval by the Better Business Bureau as a part of the effort.

The designation was announced Friday along with plans to invite other Summit County businesses and institutions to seek the seal.

Landing the seal is not a simple task.

A business or institution must first apply with the BBB, and then an assessment is made to determine whether it meets a variety of criteria.

In the case of the Akron Zoo, CEO Doug Piekarz said, that meant taking a fresh look at its entire operations.

The zoo has always strived to be inclusive in everything it does, but Piekarz said it was helpful to be the proverbial guinea pig and be the first to go through the process.

The zoo has worked for years to be friendly for everyone, from creating new exhibits that are accessible to all to ensuring there are sufficient benches strategically placed so guests can rest between exhibits.

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Piekarz said the review process found that even the zoo had room to improve.

Some seemingly minor things like the font used and the size of the printing on signs and even on websites, Piekarz said, can pose a barrier to some.

"It was a great conversation," he said.

Discussions about starting an Age-Friendly Seal of Approval in Summit County started about three years ago.

Columbus and Cleveland have also explored the notion, but Akron and Summit County are the first in Ohio to make it a reality as part of its Akron-Summit Age-Friendly coalition.

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Working with the BBB, the seal is a collaboration with the Direction Home Area Agency on Aging, which played a key role in developing the program by offering expertise and funding.

The BBB Akron plans to work with volunteers from the Vantage Aging’s AmeriCorps Seniors Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) to perform the application reviews.

Although the program is still in its infancy, Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro said, they have already heard from another county from as far away as California interested in starting its own similar program.

"(This) sends a message to everyone that we want to take care of our residents," she said.

Gert Wilms, chief of staff to Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, said everyone, including the city of Akron, can benefit from having a comprehensive review performed to earn the seal.

"This is not a one and done," she said.

Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com.

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zoo is first zoo in Ohio to land 'Age-Friendly Seal'