READING PUBLIC MUSEUM RECERTIFIED AS A CERTIFIED AUTISM CENTER™
Reading Public Museum has once again recertified as a Certified Autism Center™, a designation they've held since 2018.
We are honored to continue our role as a Certified Autism Center™ and remain committed to fostering a museum experience that is engaging, comfortable, and enriching for all members of our community.”
— Geoffrey K. Fleming, executive director and CEO
READING, PA, UNITED STATES, September 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Reading Public Museum proudly announces that it has once again been recognized as a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). The Museum was the first in Pennsylvania to achieve this distinction in 2018 and has maintained its certification ever since, reaffirming its commitment to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all visitors.
This recertification underscores the Museum’s ongoing dedication to accessibility and inclusion for individuals with autism and other sensory sensitivities. As part of the CAC requirements, staff members receive continuous training to better understand and accommodate the needs of neurodiverse guests, while the facility implements best practices in sensory-friendly experiences, communication, and physical accessibility.
“We are honored to continue our role as a Certified Autism Center™ and remain committed to fostering a museum experience that is engaging, comfortable, and enriching for all members of our community,” says Geoffrey K. Fleming, executive director and CEO of the Reading Public
Museum. “This certification reflects our long-standing promise to make the museum a place where everyone can explore, learn, and connect.”
The Museum offers a range of accommodations, including sensory maps, pre-public visiting hours with a quieter environment, customized tours, in-gallery hands-on exploration kits, and pre-visit information packets. In addition to sensory-inclusive hours, the Museum hosts the popular sensory-friendly fireworks every year in celebration of Independence Day. The Museum’s education department is in the planning stages of additional inclusive programs, which will be announced in due course.
“IBCCES proudly continues its partnership with Reading Public Museum by renewing their Certified Autism Center™ designation, which is a testament to the Museum’s ongoing commitment and dedication to creating spaces where every person feels welcome, especially autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals,” says Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman. “We look forward to seeing the continued impact of this training and certification on staff, visitors, and the entire community.”
For more than two decades, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.
To further support inclusivity efforts, Reading Public Museum is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone.
IBCCES also provides access to resources such as CertifiedAutismCenter.com and AutismTravel.com, free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) requirements.
About Reading Public Museum
Reading Public Museum extends its appreciation to the local businesses and community partners whose support has been instrumental in maintaining this certification. The Museum is grateful for their generosity and shared commitment to accessibility: Kimberly Alarcon; Anonymous Donor; Hope Behavioral Health; Threshold Rehabilitation Services, Inc.; and The Victory Bank Foundation.
For more information on the Reading Public Museum’s accessibility initiatives or to plan a visit, please go to https://www.readingpublicmuseum.org/sensory-inclusive-hours.
The Reading Public Museum is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA. Admission per day is: $14 adults (18-64), $8 children/seniors/college students (w/ ID), $6 active military (w/ ID), and free to members and children three years old and under. Currently enrolled Reading School District students and up to five accompanying guests receive free regular Museum admission and free admission to public Neag Planetarium shows with proof of enrollment. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit Online: www.readingpublicmuseum.org.
About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For over two decades, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 111 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.
In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and
safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.
IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and CertifiedAutismCenter.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.
Meredith Tekin
IBCCES
+1 904-508-0135
marketing@ibcces.org
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