The city of Miami is committed to accessibility and inclusion

The Miami Beach Convention Center, or MBCC, has been recognized as a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), a leading institution in autism and neurodiversity training for professionals in the health, education and business sectors around the world.

This comes after the GMCVB, the tourism promotion agency for Miami and Miami Beach, obtained it months ago as a result of the initiatives promoted with the aim of guaranteeing the well-being and support of autistic tourists and locals. The certification process included extensive training by the Oak View Group, a world leader in space development, management and services in the premium hospitality sector, which provided staff involved in customer service with the knowledge and skills necessary to support autistic people. It also included an audit by the IBCCES regarding improvements and other recommendations.

“I am very proud of the dedication and achievement of our staff. “Also thanks to the partnership with the GMCVB, which is essential to obtaining this certification, which is so important in our commitment to inclusion, and which also sets a new standard for accessibility in the events industry,” said Freddie Peterson, CEO of the MBCC.

The Miami Beach Convention Center implements a wide range of Corporate Social Responsibility programs. As part of an expansion and remodeling project that required an investment of 640 million dollars, it obtained the certification for sustainable buildings created by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) known as LEED® Silver, which translated into Spanish means Leader in Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Design. It also obtained the Foundations Certificate for Sustainability and Social Impact from the Events Industry Council's (EIC), a certification that offers a knowledge base on sustainability and social impact in the events industry; and five members of its staff, the Sustainable Event Professional Certificate, designed for professionals who apply sustainability and social impact in their workplace.

On the other hand, it offers accessibility in parking, ramps, bathrooms, elevators and automatic entrance doors; a series of features that comply with the accessibility standards established by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), a federal legislation in the United States that ensures non-discrimination. It also has Braille signage and a visual interpretation service through the Aira application.

“Inclusion and accessibility are priority initiatives for our destination and obtaining this latest certification is very important,” said David Whitaker, president of the GMCVB. “It is also just one more step in a broader initiative that we are leading at the GMCVB that aims to achieve city-wide certification. We hope that at the end of the journey, a large number of hotels, tourist attractions and leisure and entertainment venues will be trained and prepared to receive the diverse community of travelers that our city receives every day.”

“One in six people is neurodivergent. By obtaining the Certified Autism Center™, the Miami Beach Convention Center joins a growing number of organizations that have a significant impact on accessibility. This approach demonstrates their commitment and leadership in the industry,” said Myron Pincomb, president of the IBCCES.

For more than 20 years, the IBCCES has been leading the training, and subsequent certification, related to autism and neurodiversity in professional sectors such as health, education and business. Specific programs for hotels, theme parks, museums, and various tourist attractions aim to better inform staff and provide appropriate service to the entire community.

IBCCES is the only one of its kind to offer programs taught by subject matter experts and autism self-advocates, as well as long-term support and ongoing learning. The institution also created AutismTravel.com and CertifiedAutismCenter.com, two free online resources that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) requirements.