Last November, more than 100 community members in Mesa, Ariz., met at Mesa Arts Center for an important announcement and celebration. In the grand auditorium, several local officials welcomed the guests, and then Marc Garcia stepped to the stage.
Garcia is the president and CEO of the Visit Mesa destination marketing organization, and he’s also the father of a son with autism. Garcia addressed the crowd that day to congratulate community members on their efforts to make Mesa the world’s first Autism Certified City.
Garcia told stories about traveling with his kids, and the struggles his family had in destinations that did not accommodate their needs. It was his dream to create a place that would be inclusive to all families — and it was his dream to make Mesa such a place.
With the help of the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, Garcia and his staff at Visit Mesa completed the autism certification training. Then, they went out into the community to discuss the need to certify businesses in the area — transportation companies, hotels, ranches, restaurants, attractions and more. To date, more than 50 local businesses have been through the certification process, enough to designate it an Autism Certified City. These businesses include the Arizona Museum of Natural History, the i.d.e.a. Museum, Residence Inn Phoenix Mesa, Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch, Cafe Azul, Jake’s Unlimited, All Aboard America and more.
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With 87% of families with autism currently not taking vacations, according to a recent study by AutismTravel.com, Mesa’s certification initiative may fill an important need. In the past, families with autism have either risked their vacations at resorts with no accommodations that fit their needs or have had limited “autism friendly” choices.
Mesa is enabling families with autism to create an entire vacation package using the services of autism-certified hotels, restaurants and activities.
Imagine, for the first time, parents being able to wake up on vacation and say, “What shall we do today? What interests you?” And being able to choose from a list of autism-certified attractions. It’s a game-changer.
The Details
Visit Mesa
www.autismtravelaz.com
