Posted By Visit Mesa Team
March 28, 2023

How Mesa, America’s First-ever Autism Certified City, is celebrating Autism Awareness Month

Name: Tempest Interactive Media
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Mesa, Arizona is the first-ever Autism Certified city in the United States. We want to share with you our journey on becoming a CAC and how we will be celebrating Autism Awareness month throughout April. Learn the meaning of Autism Travel and follow along on our social media accounts.

Becoming a Certified Autism Center

On November 18, 2019 Mesa became the first-ever Autism Certified City in the U.S. designated by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, making travel planning easier for families on the spectrum.

Visit Mesa partnered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) to introduce the path to Certification process to our partners. IBCCES is setting the standard for autism (and other cognitive disorders) certifications as the only known organization focused on the hospitality/travel industry. Their key insights, paired with their Autism Travel nationwide presence, will help our partners better understand the ASD community and their growing need for autism-certified travel destinations, attractions and hotels. By accomplishing certification, families affected by ASD can trust Mesa as a dedicated tourism destination serving individuals with autism. Certification is achieved when at least 80% of guest-facing staff is trained and certified in the field of autism.

You can learn more about our journey and how you can become certified here.