Page 20 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2016

COASTNOTES
FREE TO BE ME
LINDSEY MEYER works with Cinemark to offer sensor-friendly movie screenings for special needs children.
Local teenager has community spirit
story by Lisa Kröger photo by James Edward Bates
While most high school seniors dream of lazy summers and graduation parties, one Pass Christian High student is working to make sure her community is more inclusive for everyone. Lindsey Meyer, 17, was volunteering at Coastal Civitan Camp when she first began to notice how people with special needs interacted with the world.
“I heard in the news about autistic children being kicked out of theaters and other public events,” she said, “mainly because people were uneducated about how life is different for them. They didn’t understand about the outbursts and excited behavior.”
Meyer’s idea was a space where all people, including those with autism, ADHD, and other sensory processing disorders, can enjoy community events. She started petitioning local
movie theaters to adopt “sensory friendly” events. One theater, Cinemark 16 in Gulfport, agreed
and together they created a special showing of Hotel Transylvania 2
aimed to prevent overstimulation by lowering the sound, keeping the lights on, and eliminating the advertisements before the movie.
“A sensory friendly showing entails a judgment-free zone,” Meyer explained. “No one is going to judge you if you have to get up to move, or if you get excited and say something.”
Since the first event in November 2015, the cinema has continued with monthly events. A summer program is in the works, as well as films geared toward teenagers and adults with sensory issues.
Meyer doesn’t want to stop there. She formed a group called Free To Be Me in hopes of expanding to other events
such as local sports teams, wanting to make everyone feel more comfortable.
Meyer’s work has not gone unnoticed. She was named one of Mississippi’s top youth volunteers
of 2016 by the Prudential Spirit
of Community Awards for her volunteerism. As an honoree, she will receive $1000, an engraved
silver medallion, and four-day trip to Washington D.C. She will also have the opportunity to compete for a national award.
For more information about Meyer’s group or the sensory friendly movies, follow Meyer’s “Free To Be Me Sensory Friendly Events” Facebook page.
Cinemark 16
15171 Crossroads Parkway, Gulfport www.cinemark.com 228.539.5294
20 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • May 2016
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