Belmont expanded its inclusivity towards neurodivergent students with the opening of a sensory room on Thursday.
This new room, located in the Lila D. Brunch Library was initially brought forward to the Office of Hope, Unity and Belonging by Belmont’s Disabled Student Union last year and is now available to all students. The room has multiple tools for destimulation such as a white noise machine, calming lights and fidget tools.
“This space was thoughtfully designed to support relaxation, focus, and sensory well-being, and we hope it serves as a valuable resource for you,” said Essence Collins, support and programming specialist for the HUB.
Jasie Carter, a student who attended the opening day preview for the sensory room, likes the accessibility of the new space.
“I'm really happy that there is a place like this. I think everything here is really great. The sound machine is a nice touch. It's a great place to come in when school is too much” said Carter.
The library staff also supported the HUB throughout the process of creating the room.
“They were just looking for the right space and we just happened to have a vacant office that we were going to turn into a study room, but we thought this was a better use of the space,” said Sue Maszaros, the Lila D. Bunch Library director.
The room runs by a reservation system so students can have safety and privacy while utilizing the room's amenities.
“We got new locks with when you reserve either through a QR code or the link, and you reserve it and get your confirmation email, you'll get a pin code come right up and enter in your pin code to access the space to the access space,” said Emma Keegan, learning spaces coordinator for the library.
Additional information on the room can be found on the library’s website.
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This article was written by Samantha Graessle