Perth Royal Show is accessible for everyone

Back by popular demand at Perth Royal Show in 2022 are two Chill Out Zones which cater for people living with disabilities, making this year’s event more accessible and fun for everyone.

Supported by Lottery West; the two Chill Out Zones are a joint initiative between the Perth Royal Show, and NDIS partners APM Communities and Wanslea.

Former Paralympian and General Manager of APM Communities, Jason Diederich was thrilled by the response of the public last year to the dedicated zones and was excited to be able to offer this much needed service again this year.

“You’d be amazed by how many people cannot attend events like the Perth Royal Show because they are living with sensory difficulties and avoid bright lights and loud noises as a result. At APM our mantra is - enabling better lives and we couldn’t be happier to drive this initiative.”

The Chill Out Zones (located near gate 10 and Gate 1) allow people living with a disability, their families and carers, a chance to engage with staff members from APM Communities and Wanslea. These two zones will be open from 10am – 3pm each day of the show and offer dedicated low sensory area to allow people who may be overwhelmed by the lights and sounds a chill-out zones to refresh and explore quiet activities or time out alone.

To better support parents, families, people with disability, sensory processing disorders and autism, organisers have also arranged a quiet time from 10am to 12pm on Tuesday September 27 between 10am – 12pm

Between this time music and funfair ride sound effects will be switched off and public announcements will be limited.

To make the most of the initiative, the Royal Agricultural Society of WA (RASWA) has kindly donated 300 tickets to APM Communities to offer their participants and carers. They have also created a dedicated sensory map that has a sensory key to let show goers know where there will be areas such as strong smells, dimmed lighting and limited lighting. View the map here on the RASWA website under Chill Out Zones.

“It is great to see that these sensory considerations have been incorporated again this year, and the map and these dedicated zones and quiet time will go a long way to making the Perth Royal Show an enjoyable and fun experience for everyone.”

Sandi Simms from Wilson took advantage of the free ticket offer last year for her family of five. Sandi works together with APM Communities through two of her autistic children’s NDIS plan and was so grateful to be able to visit the Perth Royal Show.

“Last year was the first time that we have taken our family to the Show, thanks to the free ticket offer. The kids however did find their first show experience quite overwhelming due to the crowds and noise. This year we are excited to be able to take them again and will be visiting the Chill Out Zones regularly throughout the day where our family can regroup and reset.”

Chill Out Zones 10 am – 3pm each day of the Perth Royal Show Located near Gate 10 and Gate 1.