Woodstock Art Gallery sees positive reception for Sensory Support Kits

Thomas Vukovic holds one of the sensory support kits now available at the Woodstock Art Gallery. (Emily Stewart Photo)

Emily Stewart, Echo Correspondent

Since announcing the space will include sensory support kits, the Woodstock Art Gallery has received a great deal of positive feedback.

The gallery announced in a May 27 press release that six kits are available to sign out, free of charge. They were developed by Autism Canada and feature a fleece blanket, a stuffed animal, tinted sunglasses, noise-cancelling headphones, and fidget toys such as spinners, a squishy ball, a pop-it board and a bubble game.

Stephanie Porter, head of education and interim curator/director, said the gallery has received positive comments via social media. The first kit was distributed the morning of May 30, the day of the interview with the Echo.

“The front desk staff was pretty excited about sharing that opportunity with our community,” she said.

The kits were launched in conjunction with AccessAbility week from May 25 to 31. The sensory support kits help guests who are neurodivergent, including those with autism, enjoy the gallery without overstimulation by unexpected noises, large crowds or bright lights.

"They provide the users with the opportunity to explore the gallery and have a comfortable and safe experience, as well as maintain their independence without needing to tell anybody anything about that,” Porter said.

The sensory support kits have been part of Woodstock Art Gallery’s plan since the shutdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where gallery staff looked extensively into the accessibility of the organization’s public spaces. Porter said neurodivergent children who visit the gallery were considered.

"We were finding that more children were needing the time and space and just being in a free time space and we found that some of them really didn't do well with the transitions, and we looked into and researched heavily on making this space more friendly and more accessible and more inclusive,” she explained.

The gallery is looking for more ways to boost accessibility, such as including sensory kits in education programming. Touch tours, tactile art explorations for guests who learn through other ways besides vision, are also considered. Some artists are creating tactile pieces for the gallery’s permanent collection.

“Whether it's through describing the work in a different way than we do visually here or being able to touch a sculpture and feel what it's made of or experience the textures and shapes of any kind of artwork,” Porter said.

The Oxford Community Foundation provided funding for eight kits. They are available at the front desk any time during designated hours on Wednesday evenings and other gallery hours of operation.