Homepage

Frightmare Farms: Spooky and Sensory Inclusive Frightmare Farms: Spooky and Sensory Inclusive

By Ethan Roy

(ANC)

With Halloween comes haunted houses, and lots of them. But one local destination stands out among the rest. N-C-C News’ Ethan Roy is at Frightmare Farms with more on their unique experience.

(Track 1)
From the flashing lights… to the loud noises… to the jump scares… haunted houses draw huge crowds every year… but those sights, sounds, and scares can be a nightmare for people with a sensory processing disorder… and that’s where Frightmare Farms comes in… with a sensory inclusive haunted house.

{***SOT FULL***}
(“It’s been a game changer I guess… we’ve been seeing individuals that have never been able to walk through a haunted house before… that I guess have always wanted to. “)

(Track 2)
Nicole Ginsburg is the production director at Frightmare Farms and one of the main reasons behind this initiative. Ginsburg has a seven year old son with sensory processing disorder… and strives to give her family, and the many others affected… the same opportunity as everyone else…

{***SOT FULL***} (CG: Nicole Ginsburg)
(“As much as it’s about adapting and helping the individual… it’s also about having that safety net for the family as well…being like, this is something you can do.”)

(Track 3)
What makes this possible? It’s these goodie bags… equipped with noise-cancelling headphones, light-sensitive glasses, and non-verbal cue cards… all with the same purpose… to open closed doors…

{***SOT FULL***} (CG: Nicole Kinsburg)
(“This one woman this past weekend… she’s like, I’ve never been able to, the doctors always told me never to go where there’s strobe lights”

(Track 4)
Kinsburg has pledged to make every future attraction at Frightmare Farms sensory inclusive. Her motivation is very clear.

{*** SOT FULL ***} (CG: Nicole Kinsburg)
(“But what I learned from going to sensory inclusive events is that extra layer of acceptance… is really what’s important for us…at least for our family.)

(STANDUP)
Frightmare Farms is currently home to the only sensory inclusive haunted house in the world. This is the first year they’ve done it, but they do have plans to expand and continue this trend in the future. Ethan Roy, N-C-C News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – With Halloween around the corner, the yearly surge of haunted houses and eerie experiences is in full swing. Frightmare Farms in Fulton, New York, is celebrating their season, but with an inspiring twist that separates them from every other haunted house in the world.

As of 2019, Frightmare Farms is home to the world’s first and only sensory-inclusive haunted house. Sensory processing disorder is a condition that hinders the brain from processing and responding to information that is picked up by the senses. It’s common among children, and some of the major symptoms are hypersensitivity to loud noises and bright lights.

Subsequently, the lights and sounds that have become staples of haunted houses are prone to causing sensory overload in children with this condition. In 2016, Frightmare Farms and its production director Nicole Kinsburg set out to separate their haunted house from the rest.

Kinsburg has a seven year-old son that suffers from sensory processing disorder. Growing up, babysitters weren’t an option, and his tantrums were far from the traditional tantrums of a toddler, despite how it looked on the outside. Finding inspiration in her own son, Kinsburg set out to provide that “extra layer of options” to families dealing with this condition.

One of those extra options has become the haunted house at Frightmare Farms, as of this year. In 2016, Frightmare Farms partnered with non-profit group KultureCity, a group dedicated to the acceptance and inclusion of all individuals. KultureCity provided them with all of the resources, information, and training programs needed to establish themselves as a sensory-inclusive environment. Three years later, and the entire staff at Frightmare Farms is sensory certified and they have made a pledge to make every future Frightmare experience sensory-inclusive.

If someone deals with this condition, Frightmare Farms has created a variety of amenities that allow them to enjoy the experience like everyone else. From light-sensitive glasses that assist those at risk of epilepsy, to noise-cancelling headphones that alleviate jarring noises to those suffering from PTSD, to simple fidget toys that can remedy feelings of anxiety, the sensory-inclusive goodie bag provides a dynamic opportunity that was virtually impossible for so many children before Frightmare Farms.

Related Articles