Pics: Philadelphia Eagles
The fans are an important part of the process,
when creating these spaces. “In Australia, the Geelong
Cats had several focus groups to better understand the
needs of the users,” explains Srivastava. “There were
also a couple of players who had children with sensory
needs who weren’t able to come, so we were able to
gather more information from them, as well as the fans
and the local council.”
League leaders
The National Football League is the most attended and
most-watched sport on the planet. So, it’s only fitting
that teams are responsibly using their position to raise
awareness. The Philadelphia Eagles has been one of the
teams at the forefront of this cause. In August 2019, its
Lincoln Financial Field was officially certified as a
sensory-inclusive stadium following the build of a
500ft2 state-of-the-art sensory room that has been
carefully designed by top medical professionals to
ensure a quieter and more secure environment. The
sensory inclusive certification process entailed training
for Eagles employees and Lincoln Financial Field staff
by leading medical professionals. It included how to
recognize guests with sensory needs and how to handle
a sensory overload situation. Sensory bags equipped
with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, verbal
cue cards and weighted lap pads are made available to
all guests as part of their experience.
PAY IT FORWARD,
EARN IT BACK
There is an interesting financial sidenote
to the creation of rooms that
help those with sensory needs. As
well as being a positive step on
behalf of the clubs, it’s also proven –
in one case at least – to have boosted
revenues. “We’ve done a study with
the Cleveland Cavaliers
and they have seen a
year-on-year
increase of around
$58,000 in season
tickets sales and
$45,000 general
ticket sales, which
is attributed to
our program
and the sensory
room,” explains
Uma Srivastava
Clockwise from top left:
Making sporting events more
inclusive is a big part of the
agenda for professional teams,
including the NFL’s Philadelphia
Eagles and Seattle Seahawks,
with both installing speciallydesigned
sensory rooms
equipped with calming lights
and fixtures, and trained staff
INCLUSIVITY
Pics: Seattle Seahawks
32 www.stadia-magazine.com March 2020
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