COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Athletics and the University of Missouri's Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders have teamed together to bring autism-friendly business practices to every Mizzou Athletics facility, announced Friday. These changes will be unveiled at Saturday's Mizzou Football game vs. Middle Tennessee.
This is the second major partnership between Mizzou Athletics and the Thompson Center after the two teamed to provide the same autism-friendly environment at Mizzou Arena during men's and women's basketball games, with Mizzou being the first school in the nation to complete the necessary training.
"Our partnership with the Thompson Center during last year's basketball season came with rave reviews from our fans and we are extremely excited to carry these practices over to all of our facilities, especially Memorial Stadium for this weekend's Homecoming game," Director of Event Management for Mizzou Athletics Tony Wirkus said. "Creating an atmosphere that all of our fans can enjoy has always been one of our top priorities at Mizzou and this partnership allows us to continue to cater to our fan's needs."
In coordination with the Thompson Center, more than 250 Mizzou Athletics staff at Faurot Field, Hearnes Center, Walton Stadium and Taylor Stadium received training in August and September 2016 to provide supports for fans with autism. These trainings follow the completion of Autism Friendly Business training at Mizzou Arena in fall 2015, the first university unit to complete the training.
The Autism Friendly Business program offers training to businesses in how to support customers with autism and other special needs so that they can develop a long-term relationship with customers who need additional support in order to have a successful experience at their businesses. Some autism-friendly supports that have been developed include identifying designated quiet spaces, providing locator maps for restrooms and convenient exits, and offering visual supports at concessions.
The Thompson Center training staff also developed social stories with photographs and descriptions of what individuals with autism can expect from the game-day experience at each location. Families can download these stories to share with their family members in advance of attending a sports event at a Mizzou facility.
Find the Mizzou Athletics Autism Friendly Business materials here or visit a guest services location at the athletics facilities.