The AMS has delayed the opening of its sensory room for next month to relocate the project to the Nest for increased user privacy.
Since summer 2020, the AMS VP administration office and Stephanie Quon, a fourth-year electrical and bioengineering student, have been working to create a sensory room for neurodiverse, autistic and disabled community members on campus.
The space was set to open in the Life Building in spring 2022.
A sensory room is a therapeutic space with reduced light and sound that individuals can use when they feel overstimulated. It is a designated area with the goal of allowing people to reduce stress and improve focus in a safe space.
The design of the AMS’s sensory room involved extensive community consultations with Autistics United Canada, UBC Disabilities United Club and others to ensure that the space would offer the best experience to community members when launched.
In a statement to The Ubyssey, AMS VP Administration Ben Du said the AMS remains committed to opening sensory rooms on campus, however due to ongoing public health guideline changes over the past year, the student society delayed the opening.
Du said the sensory room will now be located in the Nest to allow for two smaller-sized spaces. He said the two separate rooms will create more privacy for its users and reduce the risk of an individual having to access the same room as someone who isn’t wearing a mask.
“Remaining work includes ongoing conversations with key stakeholders on determining the safest and most efficient process for people to access the sensory rooms,” he added.
Dr. Pat Mirenda, a special education professor and director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration in Autism, expressed support for the sensory rooms in a written statement to The Ubyssey.
“Neurodiverse, autistic, and disabled members of the UBC community know what they need to thrive and succeed. They have endorsed the installation of a sensory room on campus, and their request deserves the wholehearted support of UBC administration,” she said.
“This is an exciting step forward in creating a sensory-friendly campus that is welcoming to everyone.”
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