Overview
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is now KultureCity Sensory Inclusive™ Certified to promote an accommodating, positive experience for all visitors with a sensory issue who visit the MMFA!
The latest US Census data shows that one in six people have a sensory need or an invisible disability such as autism, dementia, PTSD, or hearing or vision loss. People with invisible disabilities tend to react differently and get overwhelmed more easily than neurotypical individuals due to various sensory sensitivities. With this in mind, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts has partnered with KultureCity and are now certified and equipped with special tools to help better serve our guests with sensory needs.
The sensory initiative allows individuals with sensory processing needs the ability to see and experience all the world has to offer, without being overwhelmed by everything going on around them. Special signage has been placed around the MMFA to identify noisy and quiet areas and sensory bags are available for checkout at no cost to the individuals and/or families visiting the MMFA.
The sensory bags are designed for both adults and children with sensory needs and are filled with items that can help lessen sensory overload. The sensory bags include fidget items and noise-reducing headphones. These tools, along with proper training in how to approach individuals with invisible disabilities, can make a vital difference at crucial times.
Prior to visiting the MMFA, you can download the free KultureCity App on your mobile device to view what sensory features are available and where you can access them. Also on the app is the Social Story, which will provide a short preview of what to expect and info about what sensory features are available and where you can access them.
Resources
If at any time during your visit you need assistance, please speak to a MMFA team member or call the Welcome Desk at (334) 625-4333. We are here to help.
KultureCity Frequently Asked Questions
KultureCity’s sensory inclusion initiative is designed to help arenas, zoos, aquariums, museums, restaurants, and other places of public attraction better serve their guests who might have sensory needs/sensory processing issues.
These could be guests with PTSD, autism, dementia, anxiety, or stroke patients just to name a few.
Common sounds, lights, crowds and even certain smells might not only be overwhelming but also physically painful. For this reason, affected individuals may withdraw from communities not by choice but by circumstance as they worry about how the world and others will accept or include them. It helps all guests feel welcome and included in our locations. It also helps us reach a huge portion of our community that has long been isolated.
A sensory need/sensory processing issue is one where the affected guest finds noises, smells, lights, and even crowds not only overwhelming from the sensory perspective, but also sometimes physically painful. Because of this, these guests often find themselves isolated from the community.
KultureCity helps by providing the necessary training to better serve guests with these needs. They also provide signage, weighted lap pads, sensory bags that contain noise-reducing headphones, fidget tools, and much more in order to truly create a welcoming experience for all persons.
Sensory friendly is an event where the location has had all the potentially noxious stimuli removed. Because this is sometimes a difficult task, accessibility is therefore limited to the day and location of the sensory friendly event. Sensory inclusion liberates this challenge. It creates daily accessibility with training, tools and other modifications, that although do not remove the noxious stimuli, help the guest cope with this potential sensory overstimulation ensuring an accepting and inclusive experience for all.