SLC Airport opens first of three Sensory Rooms for all passenger use

The Sensory Room is “the first sensory inclusive space at the airport to offer a positive experience for all passengers with a sensory issue,.” said Nancy Volmer, director of communication and marketing for Salt Lake City International Airport.  

Activity and visual panels are available in SLC’s Airport Sensory Room to help passengers regulate sensory stress or overstimulation. (Cassie Goff/City Journals) 

Located in Concourse A (Gate A25; adjacent to White Horse restaurant), the Sensory Room includes ADA seating, bean bags, visual light panels, air walls, and activity panels.  

“We want our airport to be accessible to everyone,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “Even in an airport as beautiful as Salt Lake City's, traveling can be noisy, crowded, and stressful.”  

SLCDA worked with KultureCity to design the Sensory Room with a team of medical professionals and neurodivergent individuals. As an inclusive space, the Sensory Room is intended to provide a secluded area for all passengers who may feel overwhelmed in the environment.  

“One in four of us have a sensory need,” said Uma Srivastava, excutive director. “For those individuals, traveling becomes stressful and overwhelming.”  

 Sensory regulation sensitives are common challenges for passengers experiencing autism, dementia, and similar conditions. Sound sensitives are especially common for veterans and others who live with PTSD, older folks, and young children.  

“Sometimes, it may be difficult to regulate external sounds with internal feelings,” said Meg Raby, KultureCity’s sensory trainer.   

In addition to the Sensory Room, the SLC Airport staff will be continually training on how to recognize and handle overload situations. They will be stocking items to be made available for passengers who may feel overwhelmed by the environment and/or experience sensory sensitivities or challenges including noise-cancelling headphones, sensory bags, fidget toys, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads.  

Sensory maps for passengers who may feel overstimulated in busy airport settings are available through the SLC International website.

“The new airport has been designed to be adaptable and to accommodate people of all abilities and we continue to make improvements to achieve this goal,” said Bill Wyatt, executive director of SLCDA.  

Sensory artwork available in a new space of SLC International Airport features a mountain landscape. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

 Even though the Sensory Room was designed for passengers with sensory regulation challenges in mind, all passengers are encouraged to utilize the quieter environment when desired. As Salt Lake City International Airport set a new record for passengers on March 2 (37,141), thousands of individuals are expected to visit the Sensory Room. 

“We get to experience this moment with millions of people traveling with sensory challenges and needs,” Mendenhall said.  

SLCDA plans to have three Sensory Rooms in the International Airport total as two additional rooms are continuing to be designed and remodeled.  This is part of their mission to ensure a safe and smooth travel experience for all passengers. 

KultureCity’s mission is to improve the lives of individuals with invisible disabilities by creating sensory-inclusive spaces. They have previously helped to develop Sensory Rooms in The Park City Library, Delta Center, Caesars Superdome & Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, and Audi Field in D.C. . Sensory Rooms have also been constructed in the Atlanta, Portland, and San Francisco airports.