The non-profit group Endless Highwayteamed up with The Strong National Museum of Play for its first Adaptive Day of Play for youth and families living with physical disabilities on Sunday.
The idea is to create more inclusive family experiences, and more than 90 people participated.
Endless Highway founder Bob Tortorella says that The Strong has always been a place of inclusivity for families with children with disabilities.
"I was really impressed with their awareness and also the physical space and the accessibility as far a parking, bathrooms, and so forth. And more importantly, they really wanted to make it a place where disabled children can and interact and participate in the exhibits here,” Tortorella said.
Tortorella says Endless Highway’s partnership with The Strong will provide financial assistance to families who have children with disabilities who want to visit the Museum of Play.
The Strong’s Vice President for Advancement, Lisa Feinstein says, the event highlights all the ways the museum is accessible, diverse and inclusive.
“Whether that’s ensuring that our videos has closed captioning, or that we have opportunities that are different height levels for people who are in wheelchairs. It’s really about an everyday commitment and a strategic priority to be accessible inclusive and diverse,” Feinstein explained.
Julie Alberti says that in the past it was difficult to find activities for her son to be a part of.
“And just in the last couple of years I would say that finally the worlds seems to be changing to a more adaptive place that everybody is being more inclusive and they’re starting to really broaden that horizon a lot and in different places,” Alberti said.
The museum regularly holds sensory friendly Sundays for children with special sensory or developmental needs.
The Strong and Endless Highway will now offer financial assistance to families with children with special needs who would like to visit the museum.
This story comes from WXXI's Inclusion Desk, focusing on disabilities and inclusion.