He took the helm at the height of tragedy. How Danone Canada's president is working to rebuild trust
The native of Nice, France, spent a year and a half in Canada in 1997-98 as part of a government-sponsored work program, serving as a marketing manager for Paris-based spirit maker Pernod Ricard in Montreal.
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Toronto Star
a day ago
- Toronto Star
Wellcome Photography Prize 2025: Winning Images Reveal Powerful Stories of Science and Health
A Thousand Cuts, Sujata Setia, 2023, Urban Travel, Mithail Afrige Chowdhury, 2023, Cholesterol in the Liver, 2022, Steve Gschmeissner Click Here to download press images and captions LONDON, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wellcome's 2025 Photography Prize celebrates three image makers whose work reveals the human stories behind science and health. UK-based artist Sujata Setia, Bangladeshi documentary and street photographer Mithail Afrige Chowdhury, and UK-based electron microscopy specialist and science photographer Steve Gschmeissner have each been awarded a £10,000 prize for powerful images that reflect how science and health shape people's lives in complex and deeply personal ways, from the from the hidden toll of domestic abuse to the everyday realities of climate migration, to the microscopic processes that underpin heart disease. Now in its 28th year, the Wellcome Photography Prize celebrates compelling imagery at the intersection of science, health and human experience. From documentary photography to microscopy and medical imaging, it highlights diverse perspectives on global health and the vital role of visual storytelling in creating a healthier future. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The top 25 entries are now on display in the Wellcome Photography Prize 2025 exhibition, which is free and open to the public at the Francis Crick Institute in London, running until 18 October 2025. Each of the finalists has received a £1,000 prize, with a total of £52,000 awarded across the competition. Lara Clements, Associate Director, Engagement, Wellcome, says, ' The Wellcome Photography Prize offers image-makers a platform to showcase the impact of science and health on lives around the world. This year's winning works stood out not only for their technical accomplishment, but for the care and collaboration behind them. Sujata Setia's portraits raised powerful questions around dignity, confidentiality and sensitivity. Mithail Afrige Chowdhury's image exemplified the value of being embedded in the community and explored themes of adaptation, illusion and fantasy in a compelling way. Steve Gschmeissner's biomedical image impressed us with its precision and raised important questions about how scientific imagery is shared and understood by the public. We hope audiences will find the winners' work moving, educational and inspiring, and enjoy the full exhibition at the Francis Crick Institute.' The Winners In the Storytelling Series category, Sujata Setia was recognised for A Thousand Cuts, a deeply collaborative portrait project developed with survivors of domestic abuse within South Asian communities. Each image is a composite of personal testimony, visual symbolism, and traditional craft. Setia worked with the women and with the charity SHEWISE to create portraits that protected anonymity without erasing identity, applying the Indian paper-cutting technique sanjhi to overlay each photograph. The results are intimate, powerful reflections on generational trauma, silence, survival, and the politics of representation. From the account of a woman forced into marriage twice by her father and left with lasting PTSD, to a mother determined to break the cycle of violence for her daughter, the series captures how abuse can become ingrained and normalised, and how art can offer a means of reclaiming narrative. Sujata Setia says, ' This is a monumental recognition. A Thousand Cuts being selected for Wellcome Photography Prize affirms that health cannot be separated from the histories that shape it. And that domestic abuse is never a singular event; it leaves a direct, trans-generational imprint on health. As a child who grew up in a home where violence was a daily occurrence, I carry that trauma like another limb. This recognition validates not just my story, but the invisible, intangible, yet deeply scarring legacy of gender-based abuse. Domestic abuse is one of the most widespread global crimes; and yet remains among the least publicly acknowledged health crises. I hope this moment becomes a catalyst for deeper dialogue and scholarship around the interrelation between domestic abuse and health. That is our collective hope.' Mithail Afrige Chowdhury was awarded the Striking Solo Photography prize for Urban Travel, a deceptively gentle image of a mother and daughter on a rooftop picnic in Dhaka. With few parks left in the city due to rapid urbanisation, this staged moment, a simple attempt to give a child a taste of nature, becomes an act of resilience. Nearly half of Dhaka's population today are climate migrants, displaced by increasingly extreme weather, and Chowdhury's work highlights the everyday consequences of these shifts: the loss of green space, of childhood rituals, of breath. The photograph is tender, composed, and yet filled with tension, a portrait of care and adaptation under invisible pressures. Mithail Afrige Chowdhury says, ' When I got the news, the first thing I did was charge my camera—not to take a photo, but to restart something I thought I'd lost. I won't dwell on personal or professional hardships, but this moment means more than I can say. I made this image two years ago, as part of a major project on climate change, urban sustainability, and public health. Then life intervened, and fear slowly pulled me away from the work I loved. But now, I can wake up with an objective. Because someone has my back. And that makes all the difference. Awards can feel technical but this recognition from Wellcome feels deeply human.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The winner of The Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging was announced as Steve Gschmeissner, whose electron microscopy image Cholesterol in the Liver reveals cholesterol crystals (shown in blue) forming inside lipid-laden liver cells (purple). These microscopic shifts, invisible to the naked eye, can have deadly consequences: when cholesterol hardens from liquid to crystal, it damages blood vessels and contributes to heart disease and strokes. Gschmeissner's colourised SEM image transforms this biological process into something visually striking, part data, part artwork. With a career spanning over four decades, and more than 10,000 images published in scientific journals, stamp collections, fashion collaborations, and music albums, his work exemplifies how imaging can bridge science and culture. Steve Gschmeissner says, ' When I discovered that Wellcome had reintroduced the Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging category, I was delighted to enter such a prestigious competition. I was thrilled to be shortlisted, and winning first prize is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my 50-year career of trying to bring the wonders of the microscopic world to all.' This year's prize drew submissions from over 100 countries. The Top 25 entries featured over 30 individuals from 18 countries, spanning Bangladesh, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Myanmar, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Uganda, the UK, USA and beyond. The winners were selected by an international judging panel comprising leading voices from photography, science, health and journalism. The panel was chaired by Melanie Keen, Director of Wellcome Collection, and included Caroline Hunter, Picture Editor at The Guardian; Daniella Zalcman, Photographer and Founder of Women Photograph; Benjamin Ryan, Independent Science Journalist; Elizabeth Wathuti, Environmental and Climate Activist; Esmita Charani, Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town; Helen Fisher, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at King's College London; Noah Green, Science Educator at the Beautiful Biology Initiative; and Mark Lythgoe, Director of the UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging. Wellcome Photography Prize Exhibition Curated by Laurie Britton Newell and Ligaya Salazar, the Wellcome Photography Prize exhibition features images that reflect a wide spectrum of health experiences, from everyday routines to global challenges. Using techniques such as portraiture, cyanotypes, drone photography, and light and electron microscopy, the image makers show how health is lived, documented and researched around the world. Many of the works respond to Wellcome's core focus areas, mental health, climate and health, infectious disease and discovery research. Together, they reveal how these issues overlap and take shape in different cultural and geographic contexts. The result is a layered and often unexpected portrait of health today, told through voices and perspectives that are frequently overlooked. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Among this year's highlights are Marks of Majesty: Vanessa by Julia Comita and Stephanie Francis, a portrait honouring the life and choices of a person impacted by breast cancer who opted for aesthetic flat closure, challenging assumptions around gender, illness and identity. Beautiful Disaster by Alexandru Radu Popescu shows a lake of toxic mining waste in Romania that continues to expand each year, an image of both striking beauty and environmental damage. Resilience Artist by Pyaephyo Thetpaing captures a craftsman in Myanmar who creates lacquerware using his foot, offering a broader reflection on health, disability and the role of cultural tradition in healing. In the scientific imaging category, Ice and Fire Chronics by Ingrid Augusto, Kildare Rocha de Miranda and Vânia da Silva Vieira shows the structure of the parasite that causes Chagas disease, which affects millions across the Americas. Blooming Barrier by Lucy Holland presents goblet cells inside the gut of a child with Hirschsprung's disease, offering insight into how cell structures influence lifelong digestive health. From Butterflies to Humans by Amaia Alcalde Anton reveals the brain of a butterfly mid-metamorphosis, part of a study into neurogenesis with implications for human brain development. In addition to the Top 25 entries, the exhibition also features Things We Left Unseen, a youth-led photography project developed by Cape Town-based public health organisation Eh!woza. Created in collaboration with young people in the township of Khayelitsha, the project explores health, stigma, and daily life through the eyes of a generation growing up with high HIV and TB burdens, but also with hope and agency. The exhibition is hosted at the Francis Crick Institute, reflecting a shared commitment to making science more visible through culture. Ali Bailey, Director of Communications and Public Engagement at the Francis Crick Institute, said: ' We are delighted to host the top images from the Wellcome Photography Prize, showcasing the power of visual storytelling in health and science. The images explore a number of themes that resonate with Crick research, from the health effects of air pollution to neurogenesis. We hope visitors will be moved by the stories behind these incredible photos and also inspired by how beautiful science can be.' Notes to Editors: Media Contacts Sophie Balfour-Lynn Sutton Sophiebl@ Mary-Kate Findon Wellcome mediaoffice@ Winners' Biographies Sujata Setia (Storytelling Series) Sujata Setia is an Indian-born, UK-based artist who's socially engaged, research-led practice combines photography with traditional artistic interventions to explore subaltern histories, cultural imperialism, and the politics of representation. With a background in journalism and a Master's in International Relations from King's College London, her work draws on academic research and community collaboration to centre marginalised voices, particularly through a feminist lens. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Her acclaimed series Changing the Conversation marked a shift away from her earlier portraiture, interrogating the cultural and political construction of beauty. In 2024, she was awarded the Culture King's Grant to develop a lens-based, interdisciplinary project exploring the role of workplace structures for embroidery women artisans in Kashmir. She also recently received the Centre for British Photography Realisation Grant to further expand the scope of A Thousand Cuts, a powerful body of work amplifying the voices of survivors of gender-based abuse. Setia's work has received major international recognition, including the Sony World Photography Award (Creative category, 2024), LensCulture Critics' Choice Award (2024), Prix Pictet nomination (2023), BJP Female in Focus (2022), and Photographer of the Year at the Tokyo International Foto Awards (2021). Her photography has been exhibited widely—from Somerset House in London to Times Square in New York—and featured in leading publications including The Guardian, CNN, BBC, and Forbes. Beyond her visual practice, Setia contributes to education and advocacy through teaching ethical storytelling and photography at EFTI in Madrid, and through collaborations with organisations such as SHEWISE and WERESTART in the UK. Her work consistently seeks to reshape public narratives around identity, power, and care through interdisciplinary, justice-focused art. Mithail Afrige Chowdhury (Striking Solo Photography) Mithail Afrige Chowdhury is a documentary and street photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Raised in the city of Khulna, his photography is deeply rooted in the lives of ordinary people. 'Since then, I have always tried to understand people's lives—their pain, joy, and the complexities shaped by social, economic, political, and environmental changes.' He began photography in 2015 and chose to document what he knew best: life around him. His work has captured the Rohingya refugee crisis, the effects of climate change on Bangladesh (an ongoing project), major festivals, urban water crises, slum fires, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Mithail has won numerous international photography awards, including the Life Press Photo Award (Ukraine), Xposure International Photography Competition (UAE), Compass Photo Competition by the University of Oxford (UK), and contests in China. His work has been featured in The Guardian, The Daily Sun, The Times of India, Global Photography, and publications from the University of Oxford, ASCE, and Saturday Magazine. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Steve Gschmeissner (The Marvels of Medical and Scientific Imaging) Steve Gschmeissner is a UK-based photographer and electron microscopy specialist whose career spans over four decades in scientific imaging. After earning a degree in Zoology, he spent 25 years at the Royal College of Surgeons, eventually leading the electron microscopy services, followed by 15 years leading the EM unit at Cancer Research UK. In 2002, Gschmeissner retired early to dedicate himself to freelance photography, specialising in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Over the past two decades, he has built an archive of more than 10,000 images, widely published across scientific, medical, and popular media. His work has featured in everything from textbooks and advertising to art, fashion, and music, appearing on album covers for Peter Gabriel, artworks by Damien Hirst, on US Postal Service stamps, and as visual inspiration for an Iris van Herpen's fashion collection. In 2021, he was awarded the Lennart Nilsson Award for his lifelong contribution to microscopy. His images continue to bridge the worlds of science and visual culture, offering new ways of seeing the invisible. Full list of Finalists - Top 25 Entries Striking solo photography Searching for Life – Sandipani Chattopadhyay (India) Urban Travel – Mithail Afrige Chowdhury (Bangladesh) Marks of Majesty: Vanessa – Julia Comita & Stephanie Francis (USA) Musa – Marijn Fidder (Uganda/Netherlands) The Light Will Come – Dora Grivopoulou (Greece) Cricket is My Emotion – Ziaul Huque (Bangladesh) Pie-by-Sam – Reatile Moalusi (South Africa) Beautiful Disaster – Alexandru Radu Popescu (Romania) Resilience Artist – Pyaephyo Thetpaing (Myanmar) Stereo EEG Self-Portrait – Muir Vidler (UK) Transparent Curtains – Oded Wagenstein (Israel) Self, Five Years On – Georgie Wileman (UK) A storytelling series The Loss Mother's Stone – Nancy Borowick (US Virgin Islands) A Dream to Cure Water – Ciril Jazbec (UK) Nemo's Garden – Giacomo d'Orlando (Italy) A Thousand Cuts – Sujata Setia (UK) I Spend 150 Hours Alone Each Week – Madeleine Waller (Australia/UK) The marvels of scientific and medical imaging From Butterflies to Humans – Amaia Alcalde Anton (UK) Ice and Fire Chronics: The Chagas Disease Invader – Ingrid Augusto, Kildare Rocha de Miranda & Vânia da Silva Vieira (Brazil) Cholesterol in the Liver – Steve Gschmeissner (UK) Blooming Barrier – Lucy Holland (UK) Submarine Fever – Jander Matos & Joaquim Nascimento (Brazil) Organoids – Oliver Meckes & Nicole Ottawa, Eye of Science (Germany) I've Got You, Under My Skin: Microplastics in Mammalian Tissue – P. Stephen Patrick & Olumide Ogunlade (UK) Brixton Road, Lambeth – Marina Vitaglione (France/UK) Exhibition Details Wellcome Photography Prize 2025 exhibition is curated by Laurie Britton Newell and Ligaya Salazar At the Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT 17 July – 18 October 2025 Open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 10am-4pm (Wednesdays until 8pm) Admission free About Wellcome Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we're taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Follow the prize: Instagram: @wellcomephotoprize Wellcome Photography Prize 2025 | Wellcome About the Francis Crick Institute We are delighted that the Crick are hosting this year's Wellcome Photography Prize exhibition. The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical discovery institute with the mission of understanding the fundamental biology underlying health and disease. Its work helps improve our understanding of why disease develops which promotes discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. An independent organisation, its founding partners are the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King's College London. The Crick was formed in 2015, and in 2016 it moved into a brand new state-of-the-art building in central London which brings together 1500 scientists and support staff working collaboratively across disciplines, making it the biggest biomedical research facility under a single roof in Europe. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pedal power for Parkinson's awareness
Tim Hague vividly remembers the day his doctor delivered the life-changing news: he had Parkinson's disease. 'He said, 'You can plan on 10 to 15 good years,' the 60-year-old Winnipegger recalled in an interview with the Free Press on Wednesday. 'Well, I'm 14 years and five months into this thing, and I don't feel like I'm at the end of my good years yet. And I attribute that to exercise.' Hague, a retired nurse, has built an impressive physical regimen — one that once helped him and his son, Tim Jr., win the inaugural season of The Amazing Race Canada in 2013. Staying fit has also become the cornerstone of his fundraising efforts for U-Turn Parkinson's, the Winnipeg-based wellness centre he founded to help others living with the disease. 'It is the fastest growing neurological disease in the world,' said Hague. 'There's over 11 million people now with it worldwide — including more than 7,000 in Manitoba — and that's expected to double by 2040.' Hague really put his plans in motion last summer with the first-ever Team 81 Ride for Parkinson's, which teamed up with Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor. Unfortunately, the two men share a common bond — Connor's late grandfather and father both had the disease. 'You sometimes think people who are of a certain stature — and he's a big stature — don't have time for this sort of thing. But he's been 100 per cent present,' said Hague. 'He is engaged with Parkinson's, and it's very clear. Because this is close to his heart, and he wants to make a lasting impression.' The inaugural ride featured 24 cyclists, 13 of whom completed a gruelling five-day, 550-kilometre trek from Russell to Falcon Lake. Ten of those riders are living with Parkinson's. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES The second annual Team 81 Ride For Parkinson's at Assiniboine Park will be held on Aug. 1 — or 8/1, matching Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor's jersey number. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES The second annual Team 81 Ride For Parkinson's at Assiniboine Park will be held on Aug. 1 — or 8/1, matching Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor's jersey number. 'To see their determination, their smiles of accomplishment at the end of every day, to know their needs firsthand — we were stopping so they could take their medication and rest to ensure they were physically capable — it was incredible to witness and be a part of,' said Kevin Donnelly, senior vice-president of True North Sports & Entertainment. Donnelly has a personal connection to the cause. He's known Hague for years, and the two are about to become family — Hague's daughter, Jordana, is marrying Donnelly's son, Chris, in September. He also played a key role in getting Connor involved after the death of Connor's father, Joe, in 2021, 'Kyle came to Mark (Chipman, co-owner of the Jets) and said, 'I'm ready to reach out, how do I get connected, what's the right organization?'' said Donnelly. 'And this really began to accelerate fast.' Last year's debut event raised more than $141,000 for U-Turn Parkinson's, which uses exercise and wellness programs to support those living with the disease. 'It was absolutely fantastic,' Hague said. And, admittedly, a bit too ambitious. In response, organizers have scaled things back this year, with the goal of making an even bigger impact. Next Friday, Aug. 1 — or 8/1, matching Connor's jersey number — has been officially designated Ride for Parkinson's Day in Manitoba. The second annual Team 81 Ride for Parkinson's will feature a single-day, 50-kilometre route beginning and ending at Assiniboine Park. 'A more manageable ride,' said Hague. Participants will be welcomed at the finish line with a family-friendly celebration, including a bike parade, decorating station, DJ, face painting, mascots and more. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries is sponsoring the bike parade, which aims to 'turn heads and show powerful support for those living with Parkinson's.' Canadian Tire is sponsoring the ride. Hague emphasized that people of all ages and abilities are welcome — even those who don't want to hop on a bike. Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, often beginning gradually before worsening over time. It impairs co-ordination, balance and strength, and is the world's leading cause of permanent disability. Frank Franklin II / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor's late grandfather and father both had Parkinson's disease. Frank Franklin II / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor's late grandfather and father both had Parkinson's disease. Connor issued a statement encouraging the public to consider sponsoring a rider or making a donation of '$81, $810, $8,100 or any other amount you can donate.' 'Every dollar helps,' said Connor. 'Currently, there is no cure, however exercise has been proven to slow the progression of the disease and an event like the Team 81 Ride For Parkinson's can bring awareness to the benefits of exercise.' All proceeds go towards U-Turn Parkinson's, which had been operating out of a church basement but recently moved into Southdale Community Centre. Hague's hope is to one day find a permanent facility of their own. 'We're moving along,' he said. 'We're not even quite a month in, but it's a brand new addition to the community centre and it's absolutely beautiful. It's way more space for us, a way more welcoming space and more suited to what we do.' For more information about the organization and/or the event, visit call 204-510-4869, or email info@ 'There's nobody else in Manitoba that's doing Parkinson's-focused therapy,' said Donnelly. 'When you think about other ailments like heart and stroke and cancer and all these things that are so deserving, there is such a huge infrastructure that exists that isn't there for Parkinson's-afflicted people. So there's a real catch-up that has to happen with this diagnosis and with this community.' X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg Mike McIntyreReporter Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike. Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In temples and churches, sensory rooms remove barriers for neurodivergent worshipers
MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (RNS) — From organ blasts and incense to forced hugs and hand shakes, for folks who struggle to process sensory input, houses of worship can quickly feel anything but holy. That was the case for Lark Losardo's son Percy, who in 2017 began attending Catholic Mass with his family at age 7. Percy, who is autistic, was often overwhelmed by the Brooklyn church's open space, noise and crowds. At first, when he needed to move around or stim (engage in repetitive actions to self-regulate), he'd leave the service with a parent. Eventually, in part because of the barriers to attending as a family, they stopped coming altogether. Then, in 2020, the Losardos moved to Maplewood, New Jersey. After watching online services at a nearby Catholic parish called St. Joseph's during the pandemic, Lark Losardo learned in 2024 that the parish was opening a sensory room equipped with regulation tools, including a weighted blanket, touch pillow, ear defenders and sound machine. Thanks to that room, today Percy is back in the pews, using the room to regroup whenever needed. 'It speaks volumes,' Lark Losardo told Religion News Service. 'Not everyone needs this space, but just having it there sends a very clear message.' ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Across the U.S., families like Percy's who once thought worship was off-limits are returning to faith communities thanks to a small but growing number of sensory rooms in religious settings. Located in underutilized classrooms, storage spaces and former nurseries, these rooms vary in size and appearance, but are all designed to offer a calm, predictable environment that can help with nervous system regulation. Disability advocates say the rooms signal that a community prioritizes the needs of neurodivergent and disabled members. At St. Joseph's, the Rev. Jim Worth said the new sensory room, which opened in December, isa natural extension of the parish's faith values. To him, the room is evidence that inclusion — a principle Worth linked to Catholic social teaching — isn't just given lip service. 'When you put intentionality behind something, it makes a world of difference,' said Worth. On a 60-degree day in late March, the church, located on a quiet residential street, had a front stoop featuring three signs: one quoting Martin Luther King Jr., another quoting Pope Francis, and a third welcoming anyone in the community to visit the Still Waters Sensory Room. Named after the biblical Psalm 23 passage — 'he leads me beside still waters' — the sensory room was converted from an unused confessional. It was designed by Together We Bloom, a Maplewood-based nonprofit that helps make events and spaces more accessible. The room's dark indigo walls match the comfortable chair glider and beanbag, each contributing to the soothing atmosphere. The total cost of the room was under $2,000 and was largely paid for by church funds, plus some donations. 'This sensory room has really changed everything for us,' said Pavitra Makam, a St. Joseph's parishioner and mother of two neurodivergent kids. 'Being able to worship together has been the biggest thing for our family.' Jay Perkins, who has been in the sensory room business since 2009, said it's often parents in need of a safe, supportive space for their kids who are spearheading the movement to build sensory rooms. When his daughter began exhibiting signs of aggression at age 4, places like libraries (too quiet), playgrounds (too loud) and trampoline parks (too crowded) were inaccessible. That applied to his Episcopal church, too. 'There are so few places where special-needs kids with sensory integration disorders can enjoy it,' said Perkins. The lack of accessible spaces for his family inspired Perkins to begin building the kinds of rooms his daughter would thrive in. In 2018 he officially launched his company, The Sensory Room, which builds high-end, durable sensory rooms from start to finish and trains people on how to use them. 'It's catching on,' said Perkins, whose company built roughly a dozen rooms in 2022 and 80 in 2023. Though The Sensory Room specializes in schools, Perkin's company has also built rooms for a Broadway theater and an airport, and three in evangelical churches. Most of his custom rooms, he told RNS, start in the $20,000 range. One of those projects was the $35,000 transformation of a storage room into a state-of-the-art sensory room at Encounter Church, an evangelical congregation about 30 minutes from Dallas. Completed in February 2024, the renovation included interactive tactile and texture panels, bubble tubes, mirrors, new carpet, paint and electrical work, and an LED-star ceiling complete with a digital shooting star. According to the Rev. Chris Binion, who co-founded the church with his wife, Tracy, the decision to create the room was prompted by the Holy Spirit. 'I was in a season of prayer and fasting, and I felt like the Lord asked me how to take care of his 'littles,'' Binion told RNS. He felt God was urging him to support kids with 'diverse needs,'including autism. 'We decided through the direction of the Holy Spirit to say yes, and move forward in this kingdom assignment.' It's not just churches that are revamping spaces to focus on sensory integration. Temple Emanu-El, a Reform synagogue in Atlanta, has adapted two of its rooms to help folks process sensory input. A former cry room just off the main sanctuary was altered to become the Shalom Sanctuary, a small space with a large window facing the main worship space equipped with fidget toys, beanbags and headphones. The synagogue also received a $10,000 grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta to improve the accessibility of a classroom. That renovation is almost complete, and the room, which features a wall of sensory engagement toys, flexible furniture and alternative seating (think large rubber balls), will be especially helpful for children who need sensory breaks during religious classes or events such as the annual Purim carnival, according to Rabbi Rachael Klein Miller, associate rabbi at the synagogue. 'Something important in Judaism is the idea that we are all created 'b'tzelem Elohim,' in the image of God,' said Klein Miller. 'And much of that is connected to the golden rule of treating people the way we want to be treated and finding space for everybody in the community.' According to Rebecca Barlow, a regional disability specialist in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, adding a sensory room to a house of worship doesn't automatically make it accessible to those with sensory needs. 'It's just one piece of a bigger machine that you're trying to build,' said Barlow, disability specialist for the Desert Ridge Stake in Mesa, Arizona. The first step to building that machine, Barlow said, is asking disabled individuals and their families what it would take to make church feasible for them. When she first became a disability specialist roughly five years ago, feedback was invaluable. 'The biggest thing was listening. The parents of these children know what they need,' said Barlow, who is the parent of a child with autism. Based on the families' input, she created a sensory room in her meeting house with new donated items. Knowing it would be used by kids who could become aggressive, she removed hard chairs and chalkboard lips that could pose safety risks. She also filled the room with the usual sensory items, added light-blocking curtains and included a night-light that projected a calming light pattern. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Still, it took more than that to get families back in the door. 'We, as parents of disabled children, often can become jaded, and we lack trust that our children are going to be cared for in a manner appropriate to how special they are,' said Barlow. To build trust with families, church leaders invited some members of the ward to serve as one-on-one aides for each child with a disability. The aides were trained in the homes of their assigned families and eventually accompanied the kids in the sensory room during church meetings. Barlow also introduced the kids to the sensory room ahead of time via pictures and tours, and ward members, too, received basic training on understanding disabilities and how to use the sensory room. In the few years since that sensory room opened, the model has gained traction. Barlow says the seven wards in her stake now each have their own disability specialists and sensory rooms, and she routinely takes calls from LDS church members across the country and the globe seeking to set up sensory rooms of their own. 'It feels like we're seeing a cultural shift toward understanding and accepting and integrating people with disabilities,' said Barlow. 'If we want to follow Christ, if we want to emulate him, if we want to be his disciples … they need to be foremost in our mind.'
