The first of its kind: Mesa, AZ is the US’s first-ever Autism Certified City

Mesa, Arizona has taken a major step to ensure that all people feel welcome and accommodated when they visit. In 2019, Mesa became the U.S.’s first Autism Certified City, denoted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).

The move was inspired by the unpleasant experiences of president and CEO of Visit Mesa, Marc Garcia. Garcia, who’s son is autistic, stated that his primary motivation behind working to get Mesa certified stemmed from underqualified and impatient hospitality staff that he and his family encountered while on vacation, according to an IBCCES news release.

Garcia initially started on a small scale by working to get Mesa’s tourism bureau trained and certified by IBCCES. According to BBC Travel, the IBCCES provides cognitive disorder training and certification so that professionals are better equipped with tools to best accommodate neurodiverse people in various settings. This certification signals to families that with autistic individuals “that they can trust Mesa as a dedicated tourism destination serving individuals with autism. Certification is achieved when at least 80 percent of guest-facing staff is trained and certified in the field of autism,” reads Visit Mesa’s website.

Once the bureau saw the positive effect the certification had, training was then extended to public-facing employees throughout the city and thus began the nearly year-long process of Mesa becoming an Autism Certified City. Travel + Leisure notes that “more than 500 Mesa Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities employees completed the training, along with nearly 4,000 community members representing 60 businesses and organizations.” Some of those certified spots are hotels, including Delta Hotels by Marriott and Hyatt Place Phoenix/Mesa, as well as the Arizona Museum of Natural History and i.d.e.a Museum.

“Visit Mesa is a national change agent in the travel industry. We’ve always been entrepreneurial and innovative in the ways we respond to the needs of our regional visitors. Autism trainings and certifications are the latest example,” said Garcia in the news release. “Our goal is to ensure individuals with autism and their families enjoy an ideal vacation in Mesa, Ariz. As a parent of a child diagnosed on the spectrum, not only is inclusivity the right thing to do, it makes business sense.”

After the city’s certification, however, Mesa didn’t stop there. The city adopted the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, making it the first U.S. city to do so. In accordance with the program, which first launched in the UK, Visit Mesa and other attractions around the city provide free sunflower lanyards and bracelets to visitors. These floral-themed accessories signal to hospitality employees and informed community members that the person or family wearing them may need extra assistance or patience navigating certain spaces.

Despite Mesa making major moves in accessibility, the city isn’t willing to halt progress. BBC Travel reports that the city has partnered with Aira, which is an on-demand visual interpretation service for people who are either blind or have low vision. Through the app, individuals can connect with an agent who can assist with trip planning, menu reading and more. The city has also launched a collaboration this year with Wheel of the World, which maps out accessibility information of various destinations with photos and measurements. Visit Mesa also has Certified Sensory Guides and Autism Friendly Itineraries available on its website to be of further assistance to those planning to come to the city.

“Visit Mesa is helping inspire and encourage other destinations and organizations to take on this journey, and we will always advocate for the benefits of an inclusion-first approach to visitor marketing,” Michelle Streeter, chief marketing and communications officer for Visit Mesa, told Travel +Leisure. “This experience has had such positive impacts on the health of our entire community, a city that fully embraced the process of certification and continues to dedicate time and resources to this movement.”

Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and 5280 Magazine discussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. You can reach Roshae via email at roshaehemmings@detourxp.com.

This story was originally published May 30, 2023 at 5:20 PM with the headline "The first of its kind: Mesa, AZ is the US’s first-ever Autism Certified City."