When Marc Garcia went on a family vacation with his son who is on the autism spectrum his sour and challenging experience turned into a sweet vow to ensure that Mesa would always be a safe and welcoming destination for neurodiverse travelers. True to his word, Garcia, the President and CEO of Visit Mesa, has been celebrating with local business leaders and the community at large that November 2024 marks the fifth anniversary of Mesa, Arizona, receiving the designation as the first-ever Autism Certified City in the nation.
This designation was granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.
In the past five years, 50 businesses and 7,921 community members have completed autism-specific training, demonstrating the community’s strong commitment to inclusion as a shared core value.
The city strives to become one of the nation’s most accessible destinations, and five years of travelers can attest that it has become one of their favorites.
“We are incredibly proud of the progress Mesa has made in creating a welcoming environment for all individuals,” Garcia explains. “Becoming the first Autism Certified City in the U.S. was just the beginning. Our community’s dedication to accessibility and inclusion continues to grow, and Mesa is setting the standard for what it means to be an accessible destination for all.”
The celebration of the fifth anniversary kicked off with the “Live Life Limitless” event held at The Post on November 7th and it will run through April 2025, culminating with Autism Acceptance Month.
At the event, Visit Mesa reflected on the city’s success over the past five years and announced the launch of its Accessibility Champion Program, the first of its kind initiated by any Destination Marketing Organization. The program empowers businesses to lead in accessibility best practices and supports Visit Mesa’s vision of becoming one of the most accessible cities in the nation. Participating businesses will designate a team member to lead accessibility initiatives, ensuring staff stays informed, trained, and equipped to create an inclusive environment for all guests.
This is what residents and visitors can expect during the next five months:
- Exclusive Hotel Offers: Autism-certified hotels in Mesa will provide discounts and special packages designed to accommodate the unique needs of families traveling with autistic individuals, ensuring a comfortable and supportive stay.
- Check-in Challenge: Visitors can explore autism-certified attractions and collect virtual check-ins, with a special prize* for participants. This will encourage families to experience Mesa’s many autism-friendly locations.
- “Spec(trum) Ops” Cider and Soda: In partnership with Cider Corps in Downtown Mesa, Visit Mesa will release a custom cider and soda to raise awareness for autism acceptance.
- Sensory Kits: Autism-certified hotels and museums including the Arizona Museum of Natural History, I.D.E.A Museum, and Mesa Arts Center will offer sensory kits* to provide comfort for visitors with sensory sensitivities.
*While supplies last
Wrapping up in April, Mesa will be “lighting it up blue” for Autism Acceptance Month. The organization will pair up with local brewmasters for the fourth annual release of Spectrum IPA. The limited-edition brew will be sold at select Mesa businesses with a launch party held on World Autism Acceptance Day on April 2nd. Part of the proceeds from the brew sale will benefit the Mesa For All Foundation.
In addition to autism-related programs, Visit Mesa supports a variety of initiatives aimed at improving the travel experience for all individuals with disabilities. These include Aira, a guided visual interpretation service, Threshold 360 virtual tours, AbleVu, which allow visitors to explore locations online before arriving.
Visit Mesa was also the first U.S. destination to adopt the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, a way for visitors and residents to self-identify that they have a disability that might require a little extra help. Most recently, Mesa became the first city worldwide to receive the Destination Verified Seal from Wheel the World, an inclusive online booking platform for travelers with disabilities.
“Our goal at Visit Mesa is to empower travelers of all abilities to confidently plan their trips to our destination,” said Alison Brooks, the Vice President, Marketing & Destination Experience at Visit Mesa.
“For Mesa to achieve the Autism Certified City designation, while also becoming the first city in the world to receive the Destination Verified Seal from Wheel the World, shows that we are dedicated to promoting inclusive travel,” she added.
“The ongoing support from our business partners and from the community plays a pivotal role in sustaining these efforts and ensuring our accessibility programs continue to grow and evolve,” Brooks continued. “Mesa is not only a limitless destination with countless rewarding travel experiences, but visitors will also feel limitless knowing that they can navigate our city without barriers.”
Learn more about Visit Mesa’s designation as the nation’s first Autism Certified City and its mission to become the nation’s most accessible city and to promote the value and vitality of Mesa’s visitor economy to create a better economy at www.visitmesa.com.
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Mesa For All Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to improving the daily resident and visitor experience by elevating Mesa’s already leading position as an accessible, equitable, and inclusive city through purposeful education and innovative technology. Learn more at MesaForAll.org.
Visit Mesa is the official destination marketing organization responsible for positioning and promoting Mesa, Arizona, as a top regional destination for leisure and business travel.