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Ocean of Inclusion: Accessibility at Georgia Aquarium

At Georgia Aquarium, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the ocean’s wonder. Since our opening in 2005, we have embraced our responsibility to cater to the diverse needs of our visitors. Below, we have listed our offerings to ensure all our guests have an enjoyable visit.

 

Sensory-Friendly Offerings 

Georgia Aquarium recognizes the importance of providing a sensory-friendly environment for individuals on the autism spectrum. We offer low-sensory hours each day until 10 a.m., designated quiet areas, and a private Sensory Room located on our 2nd level, allowing our guests to enjoy the wonders of the Aquarium at their own pace. Sensory bags are also available at our Guest Relations desk.

The Aquarium has an ongoing partnership with KultureCity, the nation’s leading nonprofit on sensory accessibility and acceptance for those with invisible disabilities. As a KultureCity Certified Sensory Inclusive Venue, we cater to the needs of all guests with sensory needs, including individuals on the autism spectrum, military vets with PTSD, adults with dementia, and others. You can find more information on our social story to help plan your visit.

Sensory bags are available at the Guest Relations desk and can be checked out for headphones, fidget toys, and more.

Visual & Audio Offerings 

Understanding the importance of sensory experiences, the Aquarium has tailored its offerings to accommodate guests with visual and hearing impairments. Audio tours, tactile elements, and detailed descriptions from staff ensure that visually impaired visitors can fully appreciate the beauty of the marine world. Similarly, closed captioning devices during animal presentations cater to guests with hearing needs, ensuring they don’t miss a moment of the action. Our building maps are available in multiple languages to facilitate understanding and navigation for those with language needs. With advanced notice, ASL interpretation for specific experiences can be accommodated.

Georgia Aquarium has recently partnered with ReBokeh Vision Technologies to provide free access to innovative assistive software for guests and staff with low vision. Through this collaboration, Georgia Aquarium becomes the first aquarium in the United States to offer ReBokeh’s exclusive technology, enhancing accessibility and ensuring an inclusive experience for all who visit.

We offer audio tours of our galleries, available online and through our app.

Mobility Offerings 

The Aquarium offers a range of services for guests with mobility needs to ensure smooth navigation throughout our facility. We strive to make every aspect of the Aquarium accessible to all.

We aim to eliminate any barriers to enjoyment for all our guests. Offering wheelchair accessibility throughout our facility, designated viewing areas at our marquee exhibits, and accessible parking spaces. It’s about more than just physical access—it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and accommodated. 

A golf cart shuttle is available for parking deck transportation to and from vehicles

Additional Offerings 

We understand that animal encounters can present unique challenges. Our  Dive Immersion Team is certified by the  Handicapped Scuba Association to accommodate divers and snorkelers of all abilities. Ensuring all our guests have the opportunity to explore the underwater realm safely and comfortably, 

We encourage all guests with specific needs to plan their visit in advance and take advantage of our resources. We are here to support every individual in having a memorable and enjoyable experience at Georgia Aquarium.

By prioritizing the needs of all visitors, regardless of their abilities, we aim to create a genuinely inclusive environment. As we continue to evolve and improve our accessibility offerings, we invite our guests to share feedback to ensure everyone feels welcome and included. Together, we can create a space where the ocean’s wonders are accessible to all.

Breaking Barriers in Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary medicine remains one of the least diverse professions in the United States.

By Gregory Scott, DVM, DACZM, Sr. Associate Veterinarian at Georgia Aquarium

My journey to veterinary medicine was not an easy or straight path.

I have wanted to work with animals for as long as I can remember. Although I did not always want to be a veterinarian. As a young kid, I was interested in becoming a zookeeper. However, when telling people you love animals, the most common response is, “You should be a veterinarian!”. I heard this comment so often I internalized it despite having doubts about whether this career was right for me. At the time, I thought vets cared for dogs and cats and wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted to do. I was more interested in working with exotic animals or in a zoo setting. I struggled with deciding to become a veterinarian even through the start of college.

Upon starting college, it was the first time I truly dove into what it would take to become a veterinarian. It became clear that I would need to work incredibly hard and devote a lot of time. I still had not yet realized becoming a zoological veterinarian was possible and questioned whether the requirements would be worth it for a career I was so uncertain about. Ultimately, I decided to pursue an alternative major. Eventually, after a few years of unsuccessfully trying to navigate a different career path, I came back to the idea of becoming a veterinarian.

This time, I researched to see if there was a space in this field where I could see myself. I started by looking into veterinarians’ work in zoo settings – where my passion originated. While learning more about a zoological veterinary career, the light bulb went off. It was the closest experience to a “eureka moment” when I realized this was the perfect career for me.

As I began my journey at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, I became even more exposed to veterinarians’ various roles and specialties – including aquatic animals. I was lucky enough to learn from some experienced professors who specialized in aquatic animal medicine. I was very open to learning about how to care for a vast variety of creatures. Steadily, I gained more exposure to the aquatic side of veterinary medicine and continued down that path. Eventually, this led me to Georgia Aquarium.

Navigating the lack of diversity. 

I believe a crucial element is exposing students to diversity in this field at a young age. As a minority, having visual role models in your career is essential. I was lucky enough to have a mentor who was a Black veterinarian from the time I was in elementary school. My mom knew the extraneous factors that could potentially chip away at my self-belief. She proactively provided me with ways to pursue my passions, ensuring those factors did not deter my aspirations.

Unfortunately, not all students of a minority have that support or experience. Programs like Auburn University’s Veterinary Intensive Program are crucial in shifting the trajectory of diversity in the field of veterinary sciences. The goal is to capture students at a young age, expose them to this career, and support them in their journey. We hope this demonstrates to aspiring veterinarians that, though they may not see people representing their demographic in the field, they can succeed in this career. I truly believe this experience is essential in demonstrating the ability for all to thrive and succeed in this career. As a representative of diversity, I want to inspire young veterinarians and open their minds to the possible avenues.

My hopes for the future of veterinary medicine.

While continuing to reach out to young minorities for mentorship will always be necessary. Hopefully, speaking about veterinary medicine in this context will not be. Everyone should have simple access to animal health as a service to the public, the environment, and for conservation. One great way to help accomplish this is by having ample representation of various demographics in the field as service providers. Because of the variety of backgrounds and life experiences we all have, diversity increases the number of people we can reach. My job is to contextualize the message for different people to understand and connect with.

Practicing veterinary medicine at the Aquarium offers a fun and unique opportunity to work with some amazing animals – it’s hard not to be inspired being in their presence. But veterinary medicine is just one of many pieces of a larger machine that helps the Aquarium accomplish its mission. The importance of spreading awareness of our ocean’s health increases each year. All of us working at Georgia Aquarium have an opportunity to inspire ideas and actions that can make a real difference in the world. We get the incredible opportunity to touch not only a lot of animals’ lives but also people’s. I hope to share this message with future generations and inspire them to follow their passions and overcome any visible or invisible barriers.

Published on Feb 28, 2024.