Boston Marathon will offer sensory-friendly area along course for spectators with autism, other needs
Laura Amico and her son, who has autism, watch the 2024 Boston Marathon. This year, the family will be watching from a sensory-friendly area the BAA is staging for the first time. (Laura Amico)
Laura Amico
This year, Amico and her son will be watching the race from a
Campbell said the move builds on the Boston Marathon's work over the past several decades to make the race accessible to para athletes. The
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'This year is really the chance to turn that spotlight on the spectators and make sure we're not just taking care of our participants and being inclusive there, but we want everyone coming,' Campbell said.
Amico was the one to inspire the BAA to create a designated area for people with sensory difficulties; she called the association with her experience and idea after the marathon last year.
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'While I was there, I was thinking it would be much easier to stay if the speakers were just a few blocks away and people didn't have cowbells,' Amico said. 'Those seemed like two really simple adjustments that would make the day so much easier for my family.'
After that, BAA connected with the Flutie Foundation, a Waltham-based organization that aims to increase quality of life for people with autism. The organization has helped create
BAA and Flutie found the perfect location for the sensory-friendly zone outside of Parsons Tolles Center, a senior citizen center in Wellesley. The center is located right along the course of the marathon, and spectators will have the entire sidewalk that runs along the center's property to watch from.
The day of the marathon, the parking lot in front of the center will be empty, providing additional space for people to spread out and retreat from the race if they need to. In addition, the center will provide spectators with indoor access, including accessible bathrooms.
There won't be a restriction on how much noise someone inside or outside the space can make, but the expectation is that people be mindful of people around them, Campbell said.
'It's going to be an opportunity for people to spectate the event without changing what the event is,' said Ethan Michaud, director of development for the Flutie Foundation. 'It just changes how they are able to experience it and knowing that they have the space to go that allows them that flexibility.'
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In addition to the indoor space, the enclosed area has a parking lot in front of the sidewalk where spectators can watch the runners, offering enough space for people to spread out and engage in other activities if they need to, Campbell said.
The area will be staffed by the Flutie Foundation and Boston Marathon volunteers. Michaud said Flutie will provide fidget toys, headphones, and ear plugs to spectators while preserving the original experience of the Boston Marathon.
'It's not an activity zone, not a silent zone, just a place where it can be what it needs to be for people who are attending,' Michaud said. 'People who benefit from these types of places want the opportunity to experience the event as it's meant to be experienced.'
Campbell said BAA and Flutie will collect feedback from attendees and volunteers after the marathon with the goal of improving the area and possibly expanding it to other spots along the course in the future. The organizations are also
'We believe we're one of the first mass participation outdoor events to have this kind of area, so it's really exciting for us to see how it goes,' Campbell said.
Last year, Amico's family left the marathon early because of how overwhelming it was for her son, and the family missed seeing friends run the marathon. This year, Amico's family will be watching from Wellesley.
'I'm just so thrilled that BAA took the idea and ran with it,' she said. 'For me, to have the kids see people who have worked hard to be the best of the best and have an opportunity to see those people is something that I want them to be included in.'
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