Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

The Anchor for Access and Inclusion project will advance the strategic objective of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden to help it become one of the nation's most welcoming, accessible, and inclusive zoos in the country for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The zoo will partner with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to train all 244 full-time staff as well as 75 seasonal employees and 50 volunteers. The zoo will work with a parents' advisory council to develop evidence-based visual and other sensory supports to help prepare individuals with developmental disabilities and their families for visits and better engagement at the zoo. The project will be informed by both formative and summative evaluations, and project results will be shared through local media and the networks of disability organizations as well as through professional conferences and publications.