AEG Facilities’ KFC Yum! Center Officially Certified as Sensory Inclusive and Implements Visually Impaired Initiatives

LOUISVILLE, Ky., November 14, 2018 /3BL Media/ – KultureCity and American Printing House for the Blind have partnered with AEG Facilities to make the KFC Yum! Center and all of the programs and events that the arena hosts sensory inclusive and more accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Two new initiatives will promote an accommodating and positive experience for all guests and fans with sensory or visual needs that visit the venue.

Certified Sensory Inclusive

The venue’s sensory inclusive certification process entailed the staff at the KFC Yum! Center being trained by leading medical professionals on how to recognize guests exhibiting a need for sensory accommodation and how to handle a sensory overload situation. Sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards and weighted lap pads will also be available to all guests at the venue who may feel overwhelmed by the environment. These fans will also have use of a dedicated sensory room designed by medical professionals for those who may need a quieter and more comforting environment.

Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD and other similar conditions. One of the major barriers for these individuals is sensitivity to over stimulation and noise, which is an enormous part of the environment in a venue like the KFC Yum! Center. With its new certification, the arena is now better prepared to assist guests with sensory sensitivities in having the most comfortable and accommodating experience possible when attending any event hosted at the KFC Yum! Center.

“To know that you soon will be able to see families attend a basketball game, a true community binding experience, with their loved ones who have a sensory challenge and who were not able to previously attend, is truly a heartwarming moment. Our communities are what shapes our lives and to know that the KFC Yum! Center is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that everyone, no matter their ability, is included in their community is amazing.” Traci Johnson, Executive Director, KultureCity.

KultureCity is a leading non-profit recognized nationwide for using their resources to revolutionize and effect change in the community for those with sensory needs; not just those with Autism. In the past year alone, KultureCity has created several sensory inclusive venues and events including the NFL Pro-Bowl, NFL Super Bowl, 16 NBA arenas, 5 NFL stadiums, 5 NHL arenas and countless zoos, science centers and aquariums across the nation.

Navigation for People who are Visually Impaired

In partnership with American Printing House for the Blind, guests who are blind or visually impaired can now find their way around the KFC Yum! Center without assistance. Using Bluetooth technology, the free “Indoor Explorer” function of the Nearby Explorer Online app transforms your smartphone into an audio guide that tells users where they are in the venue and guides them to elevators, restrooms, concession stands, arena seating areas and more. More than 100 beacons were placed inside the KFC Yum! Center to interact with the user’s smartphone and give audible information about the user’s location and other points of interest. The app also allows a person to point to locations inside the building and navigate to those areas.

Louisville-based nonprofit group, American Printing House for the Blind, says its project is the first of its kind for people who are blind or visually impaired. It was launched in late 2017 at the Louisville International Airport and several other venues in the city have implemented the technology. It is available for the first time for guests at the KFC Yum! Center this week. The app is empowering for users, enabling them to move about the arena independently.

The Indoor Explorer app — which was created with assistance from the Louisville mayor’s office and funded entirely through a grant by the James Graham Brown Foundation — is available for Android and iOS devices, and can be found by searching for “Nearby Explorer” in your phone’s App Store.

“We work tirelessly to make each guest’s experience at the KFC Yum! Center fun and memorable. Providing these accommodations for our guests with sensory or visual needs to be able to enjoy the arena is so important for the KFC Yum! Center,” said KFC Yum! Center General Manager Eric Granger. “We look forward to having the opportunity to better serve our community and the guests who attend events at the KFC Yum! Center.” 

For more information, visit www.kfcyumcenter.com.  

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About the KFC Yum! Center

The KFC Yum! Center is Louisville’s newest multi-purpose arena that boasts a total of 721,762 square feet while offering an arena bowl exceeding 22,000 seats and four meeting rooms spanning approximately 34,000 square feet all within walking distance of more than 4,200 hotel rooms in downtown Louisville. It is home to the University of Louisville men’s and women’s basketball programs and is ideal for concerts, conventions, corporate events, family shows, ice shows, wrestling and more. The KFC Yum! Center is a state of the art facility with advance technology capabilities that is owned by the Louisville Arena Authority and managed by AEG Worldwide. For more information, visit www.kfcyumcenter.com.

About AEG Facilities

AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports and live entertainment company in the world.  AEG Facilities, a stand-alone division of AEG, and its affiliates owns, operates or consults with more than 150 of the industry’s preeminent venues worldwide, across five continents, providing complete venue management, as well as specialized programs in operations, guest services, ticketing, booking, sales and marketing. AEG Facilities also provides resources and access to other AEG-affiliated entities, including AEG Presents, one of the largest live music companies in the world, AEG Global Partnerships and AEG Real Estate, as well as such industry leading programs as AEG 1EARTH and AEG Encore to support the success of its venues across the globe. The Los Angeles-based organization owns, operates or provides services to the world’s most elite venues, including STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater (Los Angeles, CA), StubHub Center (Carson, CA), Sprint Center (Kansas City, MO.), Valley View Casino Center (San Diego, CA), KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, KY.), AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.), Barclays Center (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Target Center (Minneapolis, MN),  Oracle Arena and Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland, CA), PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, PA), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), Cadillac Arena (Beijing, China), The O2 (London, England), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin, Germany), Barclaycard Arena (Hamburg, Germany), SSE Hydro (Glasgow, UK), RAC Arena (Perth, Australia), Qudos Bank Arena and ICC (Sydney, Australia), Ericsson Globe Arena (Stockholm, Sweden), Los Angeles Convention Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), Hawaii Convention Center (Honolulu, HI), Puerto Rico Convention Center (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and the Oman Convention & Exhibition Center (Muscat, Oman). For more information, please visit aegworldwide.com.

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