If you go
› What: Sensory-Inclusive Event› Where: Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St., Imax Theatre, 201 Chestnut St.› When: 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15› Admission: Free for Imax screening; $29.95 adults, $18.95 children ages 3-12 at Tennessee Aquarium› For more information: www.tnaqua.orgTHE SCHEDULE› 10:30 a.m. Families meet live sea creatures in the Imax Great Hall.› 11 a.m. Special screening of PBS Kids’ “Splash and Bubbles” at Imax. Note: This 2-D presentation will be shown with some house lights on and lower audio levels than normal film screenings. The screening is free, but guests must register online: https://community.tnaqua.org/events/member-programs/fall/2018/splash-and-bubbles-movie-2018. After the screening, guests can tour the Tennessee Aquarium to enjoy the following programs with their admission. No registration is required:› 1:30 p.m. “Fit to Survive” in River Journey› 2 p.m. “Octopus Enrichment in Ocean Journey› 3 p.m. “Critter Closeup” in River Journey› 4 p.m. “The Tooth About Sharks” in Ocean JourneyCertain areas, like the IMAX Great Hall, can be overstimulating for some guests. Signs will indicate “headphone zones,” where headphones may help alleviate anxiety.
The Tennessee Aquarium is partnering with WTCI-TV to offer a free sensory screening of "Splash and Bubbles" at the IMAX on Sept. 15. / Contributed Photo by PBS
A growing body of research suggests that visiting an aquarium and watching schools of fish has the soothing health benefits of reducing heart rates and significantly lowering blood pressure.
Even though many people feel at ease while exploring galleries of the Tennessee Aquarium, others may feel overwhelmed or experience anxiousness.
"Individuals with autism, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder and similar conditions face hurdles that many of us rarely consider unless we have family or friends with sensory sensitivities or challenges," says Mara-Lynne Payne, the Aquarium's manager of diversity and inclusion.
"While some of our staff have been trained to assist guests with sensory sensitivities, we were looking for an opportunity to provide more training and the necessary tools to offer the most comfortable and accommodating experience for all of our guests."
To that end, the Tennessee Aquarium partnered with KultureCity, a nationally recognized nonprofit that works with visitor-serving organizations to bring about change for individuals with sensory needs. KultureCity toured the Aquarium to identify headphone zones and quiet zones that could accommodate guests in need of a quieter, less-stimulating environment.
"To earn KultureCity's sensory inclusion certification, we had to have 50 percent of our team trained," Payne says. "Everyone was enthusiastic about this program, and we now have more than 80 percent of our staff ready to assist guests."
A Sensory-Inclusive Certification kickoff event is planned for Saturday, Sept. 15. The Aquarium is partnering with WTCI-TV, Creative Discovery Museum and the Chattanooga Autism Center to offer special programs at the Aquarium and the Imax.
Sensory bags, equipped with noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards and weighted lap pads are now available for visitors who may feel overwhelmed by their surroundings. These kits are available for check-out at the Tennessee Aquarium, Tennessee Aquarium Imax 3D Theater and Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute.
"We at KultureCity are truly honored to partner with the Tennessee Aquarium to make them the very first sensory-inclusive location in this state," says Dr. Julian Maha, the co-founder of KultureCity.