Maplewood End of Winter Festival
Disability Inclusivity and Accessibility Initiatives
At Together We Bloom, we are committed to creating a more equitable and accessible community for individuals with disabilities. In partnership with The Maplewood Department of Community Services, we have taken steps to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of the End-of-Winter event with a sensory-friendly quiet room during the event, communication board, and social stories. Access the documents and further information below.
A special thanks to Maplewood Department of Community Services and Maplewood Township for their support and partnership in implementing these initiatives.
We love to hear from our community. If you have feedback or suggestions for this initiative or future Together We Bloom programs, please email community@togetherwebloom.org
or submit this form:
Click to Download
Social Story for Kids
Click to Download
Social Story for Adolescents and Adults
End of Winter Festival Social Stories
Social Stories are first-person narratives written to introduce a new, unexpected, or challenging situation with concrete language and pictures . They help the reader know what to expect and provide options for support.
Anyone can benefit from learning about situations ahead of time but social stories are often particularly helpful for neurodivergent individuals including Autistic people or people with anxiety.
Social stories should be used as a tool to empower and support inclusion and access, not to force compliance with social norms. More suggestions are listed at the end of the document.
End of Winter Festival
Communication Board
Some individuals with intellectual, communication, or developmental disabilities benefit from Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) to support their language comprehension and expression, such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, or sign language. Communication partners can model and use this End-of-Winter Festival communication board by pointing to the pictures as you read the social story and make comments during the event as well. An individual should never be required to point to the board, but we can model and provide opportunity.
Click to Download
Porchfest Communication Board
Sensory-Friendly
Quiet Room
To increase the accessibility of the event for neurodivergent individuals, there will be a sensory-friendly quiet room available inside DeHart Community Center, 120 Burnett Ave, Maplewood. A sensory-friendly quiet room is a designated space designed to provide a calming and regulating environment for children and adults with sensory differences or disabilities who may benefit from a break from the music and activity of the event.
Physical Accessibility
DeHart Community Center has ramps to the front entrance and is wheelchair accessible with all activities taking place on the ground floor. There are accessible restroom stalls.
The outdoor park has paved paths around to the various parts of the park. However, the playground has wood chips and uneven surfaces. There is a parking lot with accessible parking in front of the community center.
