Co-op Place, Esplanade receive ‘sensory-inclusive’ certification

Medicine Hat – The City of Medicine Hat is pleased to announce that Co-op Place and the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre are the first two entertainment venues in Alberta to earn KultureCity® Sensory Inclusive™ Certification.

KultureCity® is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to promoting inclusivity and accessibility for individuals with sensory needs. Their Sensory Inclusive™ program has been widely embraced by venues, stadiums, and cultural institutions across Canada and around the world. With this new certification, Co-op Place and the Esplanade are now better prepared to assist guests with sensory sensitivities in having the most comfortable and accommodating experience possible when attending an event.

“While we’re incredibly proud to be the first entertainment venues in the province with this certification, we recognize this is not the finish line – this is just the next step within our continuous improvement commitment to better serve our community,” said Trampas Brown, Manager of Guest Experience and Operations Manager with the City of Medicine Hat. “This certification ensures that everyone can attend, feel welcome, and enjoy all our events and programming.”

To become certified, Co-op Place and Esplanade staff received training developed by leading medical and neurodivergent professionals on how to recognize those guests and fans with sensory needs, and how to handle a sensory overload situation. Staff also assessed each facility to understand where sensory-friendly upgrades may be needed. Sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads have also been made available to all guests at these venues who may feel overwhelmed by the environment.

Once venue staff received training, the City enacted a Sensory Friendly Pilot Project at Monsters & Mayhem on March 8 at Co-op Place. This pilot project was conceived to test the sensory friendly upgrades to Co-op Place as the venue moved towards receiving its Sensory Inclusive™ certification. The pilot brought in twenty participants and twenty caregivers who were asked to respond to a short survey after attending the event. This invaluable participant feedback will be implemented to optimize the sensory-friendly environments of our entertainment venues.

Prior to attending an event, families can now download the free KultureCity® App to view what sensory features are available and where they can access them. Also on the App is the Social Story, which will provide a preview of what to expect while enjoying an event at Co-op Place and the Esplanade.

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