KultureCity equips 1st responders with sensory training

An 8-year-old nonprofit based out of Birmingham is making a difference not only in Alabama, but also across the country for those with sensory needs.

Two physicians, Dr. Julian Maha and Dr. Michele Kong, created KultureCity in 2013 after their son with autism faced social isolation that affected their entire family.

“Individuals want to be accepted and included in the community, but sometimes we have to do something a little extra to make sure they feel comfortable,” Kulture-

City Executive Director Uma Srivastava said.

The organization’s focus is to help communities become more accepting and inclusive for those one in six individuals with invisible disabilities that include autism, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s and more.

Srivastava said what put KultureCity on a national level was a partnership with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. The team reached out to them to get their staff of 1,200 trained on how to work with those who have sensory needs.

Their primary focus of training began with entertainment and social venues across the United States. Since their inception, KultureCity has certified over 800 sensory-inclusive venues in four counties with personnel trained on interacting with individuals who have sensory needs and have made partnerships with the NBA, MLB, NFL and U.S. Soccer Federation as they continue working on partnerships with major sports teams and venues of all sizes around the nation.

First responder training

“We always knew we wanted to do something in the first responder world,” Srivastava said. “They are amazing and keep our communities safe, but sometimes they might not have the depth of knowledge for those with sensory needs.”

Srivastava said what kickstarted the first responder training was an incident that took place in September 2020 in Salt Lake City. A mother called 911 asking for help after her son who was on the autism spectrum and experiencing a mental health crisis. After he ran from the police in fear, they fired at him more than a dozen times. He survived the incident, but the city’s mayor reached out to two KultureCity board members in Utah and asked if they could help.

“Simultaneously, what we started to do was respond and reach out to our team here in Birmingham and around the county and conducted focus groups and developed training,” Srivastava said. “By the end of year, we had trained over 900 first responders in Salt Lake.”

In addition to the training, first responders are given a sensory bag that includes noise canceling headphones (donated by Puro Sounds Labs) that can be modified to fit adults and children; three types of fidget tools with different textures that can be used to keep individuals calm; and a visual thermometer board showing different feelings they may be having. All items in the bag can be wiped down with cleaning wipes and reused.

Certified or actively certifying agencies

► Helena Police Department

► Calera Fire Department

► Calera Police Department

► Hoover Police Department

► Hoover Fire Department

► Pelham Police Department

► Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

► Alabaster Police Department

► Homewood Fire Department

► Homewood Police Department

► Vestavia Hills Police Department

ALEA, local training

More recently, KultureCity’s training has focused on instilling understanding, acceptance and empathy in first responders toward those who have sensory needs. The goal is to enhance future interactions between law enforcement and the community to create the best outcomes.

In April, KultureCity began talks with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency who signed on with them and launched their training in August. Cities including Birmingham, Homewood, Hoover and Vestavia also began participating in training. As of press time, the training has been used in 18 instances that have saved lives.

On Aug. 3, Gov. Kay Ivey announced a statewide partnership between ALEA and KultureCity, making AELA the nation’s first state law enforcement agency to train and become sensory-inclusive.

“Individuals with sensory issues have often been misdiagnosed or received delayed assistance due to the lack of understanding of their sensory issues,” Ivey said in a press conference. “I’m proud ALEA took the initiative to train all sworn officers to be aware of and properly identify those with invisible disabilities. KultureCity training goes hand in hand with my administration’s goal to make mental health a priority and provide critical support to those that need it the most.”

Every state trooper is assigned a county, and Birmingham covers Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties. ALEA has 10 troopers in Shelby County, with two or three of those patrolling U.S. 280 each day between 4 a.m. and 2 a.m.

“Our No. 1 goal is saving lives,” ALEA trooper and recruiting coordinator Justin O’Neal said. “We focus on assisting motorists traveling through Alabama by enforcing state laws. All of our troopers got this training to help to identify those people with sensory needs.

ALEA began its training in June. Due to the pandemic, all of the training took place online through videos followed by a certification test. Each officer who completed the training has a KultureCity logo displayed on their vehicle and a sensory bag inside their car.

Once O’Neal received the sensory bags, he delivered them to all of the troopers between Birmingham and Jacksonville. Each trooper, about 400-500 statewide, now has the sensory bag in their patrol cars to use in situations as needed. For those with hearing sensory issues, there are earmuffs to minimize sounds; if they have speech issues, they can point to the emotions they are feeling on a chart. O’Neal said a lot of children can use the sensory items to help calm down.

“90% of this job is knowing how to talk to people,” he said. “We have to learn to get on their level and talk to them in a different manner and make sure they know we are there to help them.”

He said when he began his job 14 years ago, these issues weren’t as big as they are now.

“We continue to have ongoing training and ongoing learning. No matter what we do, if something else comes out, we might need to be trained on that. That’s where KultureCity comes in, I think it’s a revolutionary training and learning experience we’ve gone through.”

All of ALEA’s sworn officers have now been trained on how to more effectively handle situations that involve someone with sensory needs or those with invisible disabilities. The personnel who received the training include state troopers, special agents with the State Bureau of Investigations, communication officers and all personnel within ALEA’s drivers license division.

KultureCity continues to expand their reach throughout Alabama and across the country.

“Our goal is for this to have every first responder in the nation have the training and the sensory bags. You never know what situation they might be called into and could use this training,” said Srivastava. “We hope to have the training everywhere so folks are able to welcome guests with all abilities without having to think twice,” Srivastava said. “We want folks to be aware and have an understanding of what this looks like.”

Certified local locations

Birmingham has over 50 venues that are sensory certified by KultureCity, including Aldridge Gardens, Birmingham Zoo, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Vulcan Park and Museum, UAB’s Alys Stephens Center, BBVA Field, Regions Field, McWane Science Center, Birmingham Museum of Art, BJCC and more. A list of locations can be found on their app, along with a place to suggest a sensory location.

For information on obtaining certification or for more information, visit kulturecity.org.