Woburn Safari Park champions making wildlife experiences accessible for all with new SEND classroom
Woburn Safari Park says it is focusing on making wildlife experiences accessible for all after opening the first ever classroom in the country dedicated to children with special educational needs and disabilities within a zoological setting last month.
SENse the Safari, a facility which cost £1.4 million, is a space designed to give children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) the opportunity to experience a wildlife environment.
It includes a specialist sensory room and decompression zone, adaptable workspaces with rising benches and lowered sinks, and outdoor play and picnic areas which overlook the foot safari.
The park says it has received overwhelmingly positive feedback since opening the facility, with councillor and SEND sub-committee member Susan Goodchild saying: “The classrooms were exceptional - so creative, engaging, and full of energy.
“I left feeling uplifted and impressed by the commitment shown by both staff and everyone involved.”
Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford also gave the facility a gold star saying: “When children are feeling overwhelmed, to have a safe space that you can come to is hugely important.
“Our son comes here and does the ‘zookeeper for a day’ - he’s absolutely buzzing for it.”
The SENse the Safari facility is part of a variety of ways that Woburn Safari Park is aiming to be as accessible as possible.
Others include a dedicated online accessibility hub, which includes detailed guidance for planning a visit, as well as concessionary admission tickets, which are available for visitors with disabilities.
The park also offers safari users experiences that can be tailored to their needs, including a Road Safari in which endangered and exotic species can be enjoyed from the comfort of visitors’ vehicles, and a Foot Safari featuring wheelchair-friendly routes and step-free access to key areas.
The park’s head of education Natasha Kyle added: “The next generation of conservationists, zookeepers, and behaviourists might have additional needs - this is all about removing those barriers.”