SOMA Celebrates Neurodiversity
with Autistic Author & Advocate
Tiffany Hammond
Event Accessibility Information and
Disability Inclusion Initiatives
At Together We Bloom, we are committed to creating a more equitable and accessible community for disabled individuals. We are thrilled to be one of the sponsorship partners to bring Autistic author and advocate Tiffany Hammond, of "Fidgets and Fries" and children's book A Day with No Words, to SOMA. We have taken steps to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of of this important event with a sensory-friendly quiet room during the event, communication board, and social narrative. Access the documents and further accessibility information below.
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A special thanks to Tiffany Hammond and her family, South Orange Village Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Nina Essel, Whitney Kidder, Balanced Kids, SEPAC SOMA, Community Coalition on Race, Defining Development, and Jespy House for their support and partnership in implementing these initiatives. Additional thanks to The Maplewood Foundation for helping to fund our work on this community education and inclusion initiative.
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We love to hear from our community. If you have feedback or suggestions for this initiative or future Together We Bloom programs, please email community@togetherwebloom.org
or submit this form:
Soma Celebrates Neurodiversity
Social Narrative
Social narratives are first-person narratives written to introduce a new, unexpected, or challenging situation with concrete language and pictures . They help the reader know what to expect and provide options for support.
Anyone can benefit from learning about situations ahead of time but social narratives are often particularly helpful for neurodivergent individuals including Autistic people or people with anxiety.
Social narratives should be used as a tool to empower and support inclusion and access, not to force compliance with social norms.
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NOTE: Since this event is geared towards adults (though kids are welcome to attend with their parent), this narrative is written specifically for adults and adolescents.
SOMA Celebrates
Communication Board
Some individuals with intellectual, communication, or developmental disabilities use or benefit from Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) to support their language comprehension and expression, such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, or sign language. Communication partners can model and use this communication board by pointing to the pictures as you read the social story and make comments during the event as well. An individual should never be required to point to the board, but we can model and provide opportunity.
Sensory-Friendly
Quiet Room
To increase the accessibility of the event for neurodivergent individuals, there will be a sensory-friendly quiet room available inside The Baird in the first floor conference room which is nearby the lobby. A sensory-friendly quiet room is a designated space designed to provide a calming and regulating environment individuals with sensory differences or disabilities who may benefit from a break from the noise or activity of the event. This room will have chairs and soft lighting.
Physical Accessibility
The Baird has ramps to the front entrance and is wheelchair accessible. There are accessible stalls in every bathroom. The event is in the "Stage and Screen Room" on the third floor. There are two elevators in the building to access the event.
There is a parking lot with accessible parking directly in front of the community center.
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Map of The Baird
Click the image to expand the map.
The event is in the "Stage and Screen Room" on the third floor.
There are two elevators in the building to access the event (Stars on the map)
The Sensory-Friendly Quiet Room is in the conference room on the first floor.
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Email community@togetherwebloom.org with additional questions or accommodations.