Joplin and Springfield embracing more inclusive experiences for all

Aug. 27—Slowly but surely, tourist attractions, entertainment venues and public parks throughout Joplin and the rest of the region are embracing inclusiveness for their patrons — children and adults alike.

"I think there are a lot of places in Joplin that actually do this," said Edyth Spera, director of the Bill & Virginia Leffen Center for Autism. "We have a lot of activities geared toward children, but having activities geared toward all children, which includes individuals with sensory needs, is important. I think it's important that we have activities for everyone."

Joplin's Soar Trampoline Park offers a "sensory and special needs jump" night, where families and their loved ones can play without fears of sensory overloads. Honey Badger Gym also offers a new nonprofit that provides inclusive classes for individuals with developmental disabilities, she added.

The Joplin Family YMCA "has always been very accommodating to us, we go down there with our clients and we use a room they provide for us in case someone becomes overstimulated and needs to take a break," Spera said.

Joplin's Chuck E. Cheese location inside the Northpark Mall offers special days where "they turn the sounds off on their machines and dim the lights so individuals with sensory needs can" enjoy activities with their families, she said.

A lot of times, families who have a child with autism can feel alienated a bit from the community. It's hard when their children act out in public. Events like this can help them feel part of the community.

Joplin's Landreth Park now sports a playground unlike any other found in the city — a "highly inclusive" playground that opened to the public this year and is designed to accommodate children with disabilities as well as those who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Think of games that can be played close to the ground, offering easily-accessible ramps and concrete access points surrounding by soft mulch. Two years ago, in nearby Carl Junction, a similar playground, called Power of Play, was built and is now open to the public, easily accessible to any child regardless of their physical capabilities.

And this isn't Joplin's first foray into inclusive play areas for the area's youth. The Will Norton Miracle Field has been a hit in Joplin for nearly a decade.

The Route 66 Movie Theater in Webb City has offered sensory-friendly movie showings in the past to children with autism, screening movies with lights turned on and the sound turned off. It's modeled after AMC's successful "sensory friendly films," in which similar showings are held at more than 100 theaters nationwide. AMC theaters offering these showings include the AMC Fiesta Square 12 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, three locations in Kansas City, as well as single theater locations in St. Louis and Topeka, Kansas.

Be it activity center, movie theater or public park, an inclusive place "gives families an opportunity to have their child experience the exact same thing other children would," Spera said. "It's definitely important."

In Springfield, the Springfield Art Museum has become the third Missouri-based museum to offer EnChroma glasses to visiting patrons suffering from anomalous trichromacy, a common form of color blindness.

According to museum officials, individuals who use these special glasses, which look similar to a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, colors with various displayed art pieces are more vibrant, making the art museum experience more spectacular for those who typically see only 10% of the 1 million-plus hues visible with normal eyesight.

According to Susan Wade, Springfield's Convention and Visitors Bureau public relations manager, other city-based venues offer various inclusive programs. Inside the History Museum on the Square, for example, "sensory friendly mornings" offer tours with dimmer lights and quieter sounds, with signage pointing children and guests with special needs to avoid more stimulating areas.

"Providing accommodations for people with disabilities is a quality-of-life issue," Wade said. "It means people with disabilities can have experiences they may not otherwise be able to fully enjoy — if at all.

"I do hope," she continued, "to see continued efforts throughout Southwest Missouri to provide inclusive opportunities for as many people as possible."

It's not a matter of simply complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, she said. Rather, "it's a matter of broadening even further the hospitality we extend to people who visit our area and making the lives of those with disabilities richer."

Kevin McClintock is features editor for The Joplin Globe.

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