How we verify listings
A directory is only as trustworthy as the worst entry in it. Here's exactly what we check before a place is published, and how we keep entries current.
Our verification checklist
Before any listing goes live, we confirm that:
- The place has a real, sourced sensory-friendly or autism-friendly program — documented on its own official website, through a recognized certification (such as KultureCity Sensory Inclusive or an IBCCES Certified Autism Center), or via an official source like a city, parks department, library, or tourism office.
- At least one concrete, checkable accommodation is described — quiet or sensory hours, sensory bags or kits, a quiet room, dimmed lighting, a relaxed performance — not just a general willingness to "be flexible."
- We link to that source on every listing, so you can read it for yourself.
- The details were checked within the last 12 months, and the date is shown on each listing.
- Anything we could not confirm from an official or recognized source is left off, not guessed at.
Source research and direct verification
A "Source checked" date records the research date saved with a documented listing. It is not a visit date or proof that a program is running today. "Verified" is reserved for entries explicitly marked as directly confirmed. An entry without an explicit verification status is treated as documented. Most listings are marked "Documented — confirm locally." Treat them as a research starting point, and confirm the specifics — especially the exact dates and times for sensory hours or relaxed performances — directly with the venue before you go.
Local venues and national programs
City pages and nearby results use individually sourced venues with a local address. A national chain’s program appears separately on its category page: it is a route to the official program finder, not evidence of participation by every branch. Dates calculated from a recurring schedule are planning prompts, not confirmed bookings.
We retain small city pages when they contain useful local information, label their limited coverage and keep them out of our search sitemap until they have several complete entries. This is an editorial rule for this directory, not a Google approval requirement.
How often we re-check
We aim to re-verify each listing at least once a year, and sooner for anything time-sensitive like seasonal sensory events. Accommodations, hours, and staff change, so a date that's more than a year old is our signal to re-confirm before relying on it.
What we don't do
We don't accept payment for listings or placement — businesses can't buy their way onto the site or to the top of a page. We don't scrape and republish data we haven't checked against a primary source. And we don't present guesses as facts: anything we couldn't confirm from an official or recognized source is left off rather than invented.
Found something wrong?
Please tell us. Reports from families are one of the fastest ways we catch changes. Email info@sensoryfriendly.guide with the listing name and what's changed, and we'll re-verify it.