City in lead on serving special-needs visitors
May 10—HIGH POINT — High Point's tourism promotion agency accurately described High Point as the first East Coast city to be certified by an international group as an autism destination, but that description actually falls a little short of conveying how far ahead the city is.
Though a number of cities are working toward getting the certification from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, High Point is just the second in the world since certification first was offered in 2019, said Meredith Tekin, the president of the group, which provides training and resources on working with those with autism and others with sensory sensitivity conditions.
"You beat Dubai," Tekin told a crowd assembled at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Children's Museum to celebrate the certification.
Tekin came to High Point to present the certification, which was achieved after Visit High Point and 15 local agencies and businesses completed training on working with people on the autism spectrum.
Peyton Davis, a High Point mother of a kindergartner who has non-verbal autism, said the designation is important to families like hers.
"This community is recognizing that every person matters and has a place here," she said. "Your choice is changing these families' lives."
Visit High Point became interested in earning the certification in 2021, when Q's Corner, a N. Main Street gym and play area designed for children with disabilities and special needs, became a certified autism center, the designation that businesses and organizations earn by going through IBCCES training, said Nancy Bowman, Visit High Point's vice president of branding. She encouraged more local businesses to get the training.
Megan Ward, the executive director of the children's museum, said that examples of what the museum has done in reaction to the training include "sensory guidance" notices on the museum's website, at the entrances to all exhibits and in a guide available at the front desk. The museum also has noise-canceling headphones available, as well as sunglasses and fidget-spinners. On June 13, the museum is planning its first "sensory event," when lights and sounds will be kept low for autistic children to attend.
One out of 36 children now is diagnosed with autism by age 8, and the numbers are growing, said Melody Burnett, the president of Visit High Point.
But the certification speaks to a larger audience than families of those who have autism, Tekin said. One in six people, including those with post-traumatic stress disorder, have sensory sensitivity of some kind, and the training and resources from IBCCES are helpful with those people as well.
Seven of 10 travelers will choose a destination perceived as a more inclusive one over others, she said, and they are willing to spend more for it.
"This obviously is a need everywhere," she said. "It will pay off and be super, super useful."
