Milwaukee Will Become ‘Sensory-Inclusive City,’ Mayor Declares

City officials and community leaders gathered April 21 for the signing of a resolution to make Milwaukee a sensory-inclusive city.

City officials marked the third week of Autism Acceptance Month with a commitment to make Milwaukee more accommodating for people with sensory needs.

On Tuesday, Mayor Cavalier Johnson signed a resolution designating the city as sensory inclusive, officially launching an initiative that includes training for city employees, sensory-friendly spaces, and real-time support services.

“This timing is no accident,” Johnson said. “We’re standing here today during Autism Acceptance Month — a month that asks for more than just awareness; it asks action of us. And that’s exactly what’s happening.”

The Department of Employee Relations will work with KultureCity to complete training within 90 days, beginning with frontline city staff. The curriculum, led by medical and neurodivergent professionals, will teach employees how to recognize and respond to individuals experiencing sensory overload.

Sensory processing differences involve heightened sensitivity to noise, light, touch, smells or crowds that can be overwhelming or, in some cases, physically painful. They can affect people with autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, stroke recovery and early-onset dementia.

“We’re embedding inclusion into how the city hires, how the city leads and how it serves in onboarding and leadership development,” Johnson said. “Residents won’t have to wait in order to feel the difference.”

City Hall is working to identify a space within the building to serve as a sensory room, a quiet area with low stimulation. The city also plans to keep sensory bags at each of its buildings, stocked with noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads.

Common Council President José G. Pérez is the lead sponsor for the initiative, which received unanimous sponsorship from the rest of the council.

“We are telling the world that the City of Milwaukee is serious about inclusion, we’re serious about not othering people,” Pérez said at the signing. “We are putting a marker down and stating loudly that all people have value.”

The certification program, modeled after similar approaches in more than 3,000 venues across the globe, is already in effect at Milwaukee-area locations, including Baird Center, Fiserv Forum, American Family Field, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee County Zoo and Discovery World. The Mitchell Park Domes is adding a sensory room as part of its upcoming renovation.

“This initiative allows us to scale those efforts into a consistent, citywide experience, because visitors don’t experience just one venue or building, they experience the city of Milwaukee,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee. “We need to ensure that everyone can access and enjoy what makes Milwaukee special.”

Williams-Smith also highlighted the role of accessibility in tourism decisions. “Travelers with disabilities take 38 million trips each year and spend nearly $25 billion annually in the United States alone, and yet, 74% of those travelers report that they face obstacles,” she said, adding that Milwaukee’s designation is “not the finish line, but a starting point.”

She said the city looks ahead to Disability Pride Month in July, when it expects to celebrate the first wave of certified partners across Milwaukee.

For more information on KultureCity’s Sensory Inclusive Certification, visit the nonprofit’s website.

Photos