Every April, the nation celebrates Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month and honors the experiences and identities of autistic individuals. In Northeast Ohio, different businesses and organizations are doing their part to give back to the Autism community.
Vivo beauty bar in Cuyahoga Falls hosted an acceptance cut-a-thon fundraiser, where people were able to donate a minimum of $15 and get a dry cut.
“It’s something that's affordable for families that are in need, and also the money's going towards families in need, because we're donating 100% of all the profits and proceeds to Autism Society of greater Akron,” said Salon Success Director Lauren Glass.
“It's very expensive to have things provided for our special need’s kiddos and the Autism Society is a nonprofit organization that raises money through events like this. They rely heavily on donors to be able to give scholarships to families in the community for certain things, like swim lessons, bike camps, stuff like that we've benefited from,” said Erica Love, a parent.
Love said the event gave her a chance to connect with other families who are on the same journey as her.
“I have been on this journey with my son for about 15 years, and it’s great to be able to be here and connect with parents that might need some mentorship or advocacy. I met a mother today and I started telling her you need to call this place, and she said I need to sit down and talk to you, because there was so much that her family could have benefited from that she didn't know about,” said Love.
Over at the Great Lakes Science Center, families were able to visit the first GLSC Me Day and their new sensory space.
“Museums are fun places, but they can be loud, they can be hectic, and it is really the responsibility of science centers and museums to provide the experiences that we have to offer to everyone. We should do what we can to make the experiences here accessible for everyone,” said Vice President Brett Nicholas.
The science center altered some of their regular exhibits to create an atmosphere for guests with sensory needs and provide support for guests with mobility issues.
"As parents with disabled children, these are things that we always look for, and coming to a location like this where it's nice, open, [my daughter is] comfortable and we don’t have to worry about safety as much when she puts her hands on things is really great,” said parent Ravi Talati.
The new sensory-friendly Sunday morning events will take place each Sunday at Great Lakes Science Center from 10 a.m. to noon.
