In sports today, more and more organizations are offering sensory friendly lounges that are aimed at making sports experiences fun and accessible for people with sensory disabilities, such as Autism. Right behind the Philadelphia Eagles, the Flyers are opening a sensory friendly lounge at the Wells Fargo Center!
Every year, the Flyers would turn the arena’s Hall of Fame Room into a sensory friendly lounge for Autism Awareness Night, which helps to benefit different organizations dedicated to Autism awareness in and around the Philadelphia area. This event only happened one time a year, which made accessibility to games and events for fans with sensory disabilities more difficult during the rest of the season. Now, the Flyers are aiming to be more accommodating by offering the lounge during select home games each month of the regular season.
The sensory lounge will include noise-reducing headphones, beanbag chairs, coloring books, Playdough, and family-friendly games in addition to the Flyers game streaming on the TVs in the lounge. Along with the activities in the room, a service companion dog named Lullaby will be in the lounge to provide her services too! Lullaby is specially trained to provide assistance to those on the autism spectrum.
The sensory-friendly lounge will be open during the following games:
- Thursday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. – vs. Arizona Coyotes
- Monday, January 13 at 7:00 p.m. – vs. Boston Bruins
- Monday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m. – vs. Florida Panthers
- Tuesday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. – vs. St. Louis Blues
- Thursday, April 2 at 7:00 p.m. – vs. Nashville Predators
This is an amazing effort by the Flyers to be more inclusive of their fanbase with sensory disabilities, and hopefully more sports organizations follow in their footsteps!
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