Sensory Saturdays: Museum of York County
About Educational Resource
Sensory Saturdays are designed as monthly events for all learners but may be beneficial to people with sensory differences, their families, and their caregivers. The entire museum was open, including a special planetarium show with lower sound levels and open-door policy for patrons to come and go as they pleased. Programming also incorporated a social story and 3D printed astronomical objects.
This Program Model was developed and authored by Museum of York County, with minimal editorial input and review from NASA's Universe of Learning. NASA's Universe of Learning has contributed astrophysics content and subject matter expertise to support the creation of this material.
Other organizations may adapt these materials to meet the needs of their specific audiences. While this Program Model was designed to serve the local audience of the authoring institution, it is shared here as an example for broader use. Users should adjust it as needed and use all or some of the content, as appropriate, for their own needs.
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Goals and Recommendations
Goals
- Aimed to have a judgment-free space for people with sensory differences
- Developed to remove distraction for higher focus and more interactions
- Implemented for audiences to engage in the museum in an exploratory way
Recommendations
It is recommended that the social story aspect be included on the institution website to make the resource easily accessible for visitors coming to participate. Be sure to look throughout your institution for all sources of noise and bright lights, with the intent to not change them but make visitors aware of them. Remove distractions from work areas and create quiet rooms with soft seating and tactile items that help attendees focus. It is recommended staff wear solid, non-bright colors. Use big maps where certain areas are so families can see and decide how to use their time.