2025 – Sesame Place Philadelphia – Sensory Guide

Purpose of This Canonical Summary

This document preserves the structural approach and framework used in Sesame Place Philadelphia’s Sensory Guide, translating it into reusable guidance for organizations creating sensory accessibility documentation.

This is NOT a reproduction of the guide’s content. It is an analysis of its structure, categories, and approach that can inform sensory accessibility documentation at other venues.

Core Principle

Sensory accessibility information is distinct from mobility accessibility but must be integrated into the visitor decision-making process.

Visitors with sensory processing differences (autism spectrum, sensory processing disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorders, or other conditions) need advance information about:

  • Intensity and type of stimuli
  • Duration of exposure
  • Ability to control or exit
  • Quiet/low-stimulation alternatives

This information allows visitors to:

  • Plan which experiences to participate in
  • Prepare coping strategies
  • Identify safe spaces
  • Make informed decisions about participation

Structural Framework

The Sesame Place Sensory Guide uses a standardized, attraction-by-attraction format with consistent sensory categories.

Sensory Categories Used

Each attraction is evaluated across multiple sensory dimensions:

  1. Visual Stimuli
    • Darkness level
    • Flashing/strobe lights
    • Projections or screens
    • Brightness changes
    • Moving visual elements
  2. Auditory Stimuli
    • Overall volume level
    • Sudden loud sounds
    • Types of sounds (music, voices, effects, mechanical)
    • Duration of sound exposure
    • Quiet periods vs. continuous sound
  3. Physical Motion
    • Type of movement (spinning, dropping, tilting, swaying)
    • Speed and intensity
    • Predictability of motion
    • Duration
  4. Tactile Elements
    • Water exposure
    • Physical contact with elements
    • Temperature variations
    • Wind or air effects
  5. Olfactory Elements
    • Presence of scents or smells
    • Intensity
  6. Duration
    • Length of experience
    • Queue environment
    • Ability to exit early

Presentation Format

For each attraction, the guide provides:

  • Attraction name
  • Brief description
  • Sensory profile using standardized indicators (often icons or intensity scales)
  • Notable sensory features
  • Recommendations or warnings

Key Innovation: Attraction-Level Granularity

Rather than building-level or general statements, this guide provides:

Individual profiles for each ride, show, and character meet location.

This recognizes that:

  • Different areas of the same facility have vastly different sensory profiles
  • Visitors need granular information to make participation decisions
  • What is overwhelming for one person may be comfortable for another

Relationship to Access Chain Model

Sensory accessibility intersects the Access Chain at multiple points:

  1. Arrival: Parking lot noise, crowds, outdoor stimuli
  2. Entry: Queue environments, ticket area crowds and sounds
  3. Navigation: Ambient park sounds, music, announcements, crowds
  4. Program Participation: Attraction-specific sensory experiences
  5. Facilities: Restroom acoustics, lighting, crowds
  6. Egress: Crowd management, end-of-day conditions

The guide focuses primarily on program participation but acknowledges the need for quiet spaces as part of the sensory navigation strategy.

Operational Requirements

Creating and maintaining a sensory guide requires:

Assessment Process

  • Ride-throughs or experience walkthroughs
  • Sensory measurement (decibel readings, lux measurements where possible)
  • Documentation of timing and sequences
  • Understanding of sensory triggers

Maintenance Triggers

  • New attractions
  • Attraction modifications
  • Seasonal changes (holiday overlays, special events)
  • Technical upgrades (new lighting, sound systems)
  • Show or entertainment changes

Expertise Required

  • Understanding of sensory processing conditions
  • Collaboration with occupational therapists or sensory specialists
  • Input from visitors with lived experience
  • Staff training on sensory needs

Publishing Recommendations Derived from This Example

Based on analysis of Sesame Place’s approach:

What Works Well

  1. Standardized Format
    • Consistent categories enable comparison
    • Visitors can quickly scan for relevant information
  2. Transparency
    • Does not avoid mentioning intense stimuli
    • Provides enough detail for informed decisions
  3. Comprehensive Coverage
    • All major attractions included
    • Consistent level of detail

Improvement Opportunities

  1. Co-location with Main Accessibility Guide
    • Currently separate PDF at different URL path
    • Should be integrated into main accessibility resources
    • Recommendation: /help/accessibility-guide/sensory/
  2. HTML-First Presentation
    • PDF-only format limits searchability
    • Web interface would allow filtering by sensory criteria
    • Enable “find rides with low auditory stimulation” queries
  3. Interactive Filtering
    • Database-backed approach could support:
      • Filter by sensory tolerance levels
      • Sort by intensity
      • Compare attractions
      • Create personalized visit plans
  4. Updates and Version Control
    • Dated version helps visitors know currency
    • Change log would show what has changed year-over-year

Implications for This Toolkit

This analysis informs toolkit development:

Template Requirements

Need distinct but integrated templates for:

  • Sensory Profile Template (attraction/program level)
  • Sensory Environment Template (facility/space level)
  • Quiet Space Template (respite locations)

Content Guidance

Organizations should:

  • Assess sensory characteristics systematically
  • Use consistent rating/description approaches
  • Provide granular, location-specific information
  • Update when environmental conditions change
  • Integrate sensory information into main accessibility guide

Sensory Profile Must Include

At minimum:

  • Visual: lighting conditions, projections, darkness
  • Auditory: volume, types of sounds, duration
  • Motion: if applicable to the space
  • Tactile: environmental contact elements
  • Duration and exit options
  • Coping supports available (quiet spaces, sensory kits)

Maintenance Checklist Items

Add to operational checklists:

  • Verify sensory information after technical changes
  • Update after seasonal overlays or events
  • Review after renovations
  • Collect visitor feedback on sensory accuracy
  • Train staff on sensory accommodation needs

Audience Considerations

Sensory guides serve multiple audiences:

  1. Autistic individuals (primary but not exclusive)
  2. People with sensory processing disorders
  3. Veterans with PTSD
  4. People with anxiety disorders
  5. People with migraines or seizure conditions
  6. Parents/caregivers planning for children

Language should:

  • Avoid clinical jargon
  • Describe objectively what stimuli exist
  • Not assume all visitors with sensory needs have the same triggers
  • Provide factual information to enable individual decision-making

Extending Beyond Theme Parks

This framework applies to:

  • Museums: Gallery lighting, sound installations, crowded exhibitions
  • Theaters: Show content, volume, strobe effects, emergency alarms
  • Civic Buildings: Lobby acoustics, fluorescent lighting, crowd density
  • Libraries: Ambient noise levels, children’s areas, quiet zones
  • Retail: Music volume, lighting, crowds, checkout line environments

Any public space can benefit from sensory environment documentation.

Success Criteria

A sensory guide is effective when:

  1. Visitors can make informed decisions about participation
  2. Information is specific enough to be actionable
  3. Updates reflect current conditions
  4. Content is discoverable alongside other accessibility information
  5. Organizations maintain accuracy as conditions change

Storage Note

PDF version of the original Sesame Place Sensory Guide should be stored in: /community/resources/pdfs/sesame-place-sensory-guide-2025.pdf

This preserves the example for reference while this canonical summary extracts the reusable framework.

This canonical resource informs:

  • templates/sensory-profile.md (to be created/enhanced)
  • templates/building-access-guide.md (sensory section)
  • templates/facilities-template.md (quiet space section)
  • templates/maintenance-checklist.md (sensory verification items)