New Junior Museum & Zoo Initiative Inclusion and Accessibility Plan: Community Conversations with Families with Special Needs

The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo (JMZ) is working to create an accessible facility from the ground up as they plan for a new building, zoo habitats, and exhibits. During construction of the new JMZ the institution will occupy a temporary space in Palo Alto. The new JMZ is scheduled to open in 2019.
To inform their planning process, Tina Keegan, Exhibits Director at JMZ, contracted with Wendy Meluch of Visitor Studies Services (the evaluator) to conduct community conversation with two groups of parents on site at the Museum. Staff reached out to JMZ members and visitors, and local organizations to invite parents of children with special needs to participate. They structured two groups, one with families who have children with autism, and one with families who have children with a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities. While parents met with the evaluator, staff provided hands-on, educational programming and snacks to the children and their caregivers.