Celebrate April’s Autism Awareness Month at the Carter

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter) is celebrating Autism Awareness Month this April with two free events for neurodivergent individuals of all ages: Sensory Explorations and Meet Up at the Museum.

For over 10 years, the Carter has been committed to ensuring that the Museum is accessible to visitors of all ages and abilities. These two free events provide additional opportunities for all of our visitors to encounter the wonder and beauty of American creativity during their visit to the Carter. Beyond access events, the Carter also offers a variety of accessibility tools and resources for our visitors, from large-print labels to tactile tool kits, and continues to work with organizations in the community to enhance and improve accessibility offerings at the Museum.

“The Carter is committed to creating equitable access to the Museum and our collection through our institutional outreach, artwork, and initiatives,” said Amanda Blake, Director of Education, Library, and Visitor Experience. “For more than a decade, the Carter has been deeply invested in offering a variety of ways for our visitors of all abilities to experience the Museum’s collection and events.”

Photo courtesy of Amon Carter Museum of American History 

On Saturday, April 13, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., visitors are invited to join us at the Carter for Sensory Explorations: Nature. During this free event, families can connect with artworks that feature nature in the galleries, enjoy an interactive performance, and get creative during a hands-on, art-making experience. Sensory Explorations is a free event for families with children of all ages who are on the autism spectrum. While the needs of individuals with autism are the focus of this event, it is also fun for parents, siblings, and other relatives.

On Thursday, April 18, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., visitors are invited to join us at the Carter for Meet Up at the Museum: Nature. During this free event, visitors can explore the beauty of nature in art, play gallery games, and get creative with an art-making activity. Meet Up at the Museum is a free sensory-friendly social event for neurodivergent adults and their guests, where our visitors can explore artworks in the galleries and participate in interactive activities. While the needs of individuals with autism are the focus of this event, it is also fun for family and friends.

In addition to reoccurring Sensory Explorations and Meet Up at the Museum, the Carter also has other access opportunities available on request for individuals and groups. Artful Moments is designed for visitors with dementia and their care partners, where visitors connect with artworks and share stories together in a social setting. During Close Encounters, visitors with low or no vision and their guests participate in a tour and use sensory tools, including raised-line drawings and 3D-printed copies of sculptures, to connect with artworks. Children or adults with cognitive and/or physical disabilities engage in multisensory activities and create a work of art during our Connect to Art program.

Photo courtesy of Amon Carter Museum of American History

“Our April autism events offer a fun opportunity for families and adults to connect with our collection and exhibitions in a way this is meaningful and mindful,” stated Peggy Speir, Manager of Access Programs and Resources. “Our goal is to provide a welcoming experience that informs and reminds our visitors of all ages and abilities that the Carter is a place for them, even when neurodivergent-specific events aren’t happening.”

Beyond access events, the Carter also offers a variety of accessibility tools and resources to enhance their visit. Museum visitors can request tactile tools kits during their visit, which feature 3D-printed copies and raised-line drawings of select artworks from the collection; visual descriptions in Braille and large print; and additional sensory objects to experience works of art while in the galleries. The Carter also has audio and video stops throughout the Museum featuring additional context for works of art from artists, Museum staff, community members, and others, as well as assistive listening devices during events and tours. Each gallery in the Museum, from the permanent collection to the special exhibitions, has booklets with large-print labels. Recently, the Carter began offering EnChroma color-blind glasses for both children and adults, available for check-out at the Information Desk. Free visual description and touch tours of the collection are available for advanced scheduling; artworks with visual descriptions may also be found on our website. Since 2021, the Carter has offered American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation at many of the Museum’s events. With advance notice, visitors may request ASL interpretation for events where it is not already available.

The Carter’s commitment to these audiences is strengthened by partnerships with professionals skilled in serving visitors with special needs. Since 2014, Lighthouse for the Blind Fort Worth has partnered with the Carter to help us develop raised-line drawings and visual descriptions for our visitors and alt text for the Museum’s website. The Carter has partnered with TCU FACES (Families, Autism, and Child Emotional Studies) since 2018 for our access events, such as Sensory Explorations, to structure our programs and invite families to access events, as well as provide staff training. The Carter has also been an official clinical site for Tarrant Community College Sign Language Program since 2021, which allows their students to practice signing for lectures, member events, and exhibition openings. Dementia Friendly Fort Worth has partnered with the Carter since 2019, allowing us to offer free virtual tours of the collection for the organization during their social events. Since 2020, the Carter has partnered with the University of North Texas, which provides exceptional training for our staff and insight into how to best format our access events at the Museum.

To learn more about access events and resources at the Carter, visit cartermuseum.org/Access. On-demand access programs will be unavailable May 1 through August 16, 2024.

Photo courtesy of Amon Carter Museum of American History