Miss. zoo now accommodates those with sensory needs

HATTIESBURG, Miss.

A zoo in Mississippi now provides equipment such as fidget tools and noise-canceling headphones to visitors with sensory needs.

The Hattiesburg American reports the Hattiesburg Zoo is the state’s first visitor attraction to offer certified accommodations for guests who have post-traumatic stress disorder or other sensory processing conditions. The zoo was certified through KultureCity, a Birmingham, Ala.-based group that works on behalf of children with autism and provided the zoo’s special equipment.

The zoo hosted an event recently to reveal its new accommodations. It offered quiet train rides and animal encounters, reduced exhibit sound volume and other sensory activities. The executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, Rick Taylor, says this will allow more people to comfortably experience the zoo.