Visit Mesa Renews Certified Autism Center™ Designation, Continues Enhancing Inclusivity

Visit Mesa made history in 2019 as the first-ever destination marketing organization to earn the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation.

MESA, AZ, UNITED STATES, April 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) renews Visit Mesa’s designation as a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC). Visit Mesa was the first-ever destination marketing organization to become a CAC when they received their initial certification in 2019. To renew their certification, staff completed autism-specific training to provide them with up-to-date knowledge and understanding of best practices, skills, and resources to best support and assist autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals and their families.

“The renewal of our Certified Autism Center™ designation is a testament to Visit Mesa’s unwavering commitment to making our destination welcoming to all,” says Marc Garcia, president and CEO of Visit Mesa. “Since initiating these efforts, we’ve seen firsthand the profound impact of prioritizing accessibility. It’s not just about meeting minimum standards; it’s about exceeding expectations and creating truly inclusive experiences. This renewal reinforces our dedication to serving the needs of autistic travelers and their families, and we’re proud to be a model for other destinations seeking to embrace accessible tourism.”

“The training provides practical ways to better accommodate neurodiverse individuals,” says Zoey Shircel, communications manager at Visit Mesa. “After becoming certified, I noticed that more people felt comfortable sharing their needs and asking for additional support. We’ve learned to present information in multiple ways, like through visual aids, to ensure everyone has access to enjoy Mesa.”

Visit Mesa continues to expand its commitment to accessibility through various initiatives:
- Mesa recently celebrated its five-year anniversary as the first Autism CertifiedCity™ (ACC) in the nation, with 50 businesses and 7,921 community members completing autism-specific training.
- In November 2024, Visit Mesa launched its Accessibility Champion Program, empowering businesses to lead in accessibility best practices.
- Additional programs include Aira, the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, Threshold 360 virtual tours, and the Destination Verified Seal from Wheel the
World.
- Mesa was also recently recognized with a silver award for Accessible Destination
of the Year at London’s 2024 JRNY America Awards.

“IBCCES is proud to continue our partnership with Visit Mesa and renew their designation as a Certified Autism Center™, highlighting their ongoing efforts to enhance accessibility in Mesa,” says Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman. “This renewal showcases Visit Mesa’s dedication to creating an environment where every visitor feels welcome and can enjoy all that Mesa has to offer.”

To further support inclusivity efforts, Visit Mesa is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities with 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.

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.

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.

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About Visit Mesa
The mission of Visit Mesa is to promote, market, and sell the Mesa area as a year-round, premiere business and leisure travel destination on behalf of our stakeholders while enhancing the quality of life for all area residents. Learn more at VisitMesa.com.

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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