TART Trails Renews Certified Autism Center™ Designation, Advancing Inclusive Outdoor Experiences in Traverse City
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, UNITED STATES, July 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- TART Trails renews its designation as a Certified Autism Center™, which is awarded by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). To renew the designation, at least 80% of guest-facing staff completed up-to-date training to refresh their knowledge on communicating with, assisting, and welcoming autistic and sensory-sensitive visitors and their families. The training also equipped staff with updated knowledge of current best practices and skills to enhance the accessibility of the TART Trails experience.
“Renewing our CAC certification reinforces our commitment to making trails and programs welcoming and accessible for everyone,” says Brian Beauchamp, Director of Strategic Engagement at TART Trails. “It’s one more way we’re working to ensure people of all abilities feel comfortable, supported, and included in outdoor spaces.”
Training provides staff with clear, standardized protocols for interacting with guests with autism and other invisible disabilities. This reduces hesitation, guesswork, and the time it takes for staff to decide how to handle a situation, leading to faster and more confident service.
“The CAC training has helped me communicate more clearly and thoughtfully with some of our neurodivergent volunteers. It’s given me tools that make our programs more inclusive and our team more confident,” says Jonny Tornga, Outreach Director at TART Trails.
TART Trails plans to implement sensory ratings on event descriptions to help participants better anticipate and choose experiences that fit their needs.
“Renewing their Certified Autism Center™ designation reflects TART Trails’ continued commitment to enhancing staff understanding of how to best welcome and accommodate visitors of all abilities,” says Myron Pincomb, IBCCES CEO & Board Chairman. “Their ongoing dedication helps shape a more inclusive and accessible community for all.”
By renewing its CAC designation, TART Trails continues to play a role in the wider movement initiated by Traverse City Tourism, which helped Traverse City achieve the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) designation. The CAD designation means visitors have multiple trained and certified options available in the area, including entertainment, recreation, and lodging.
For 25 years, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory, and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.
To further support inclusivity efforts, TART Trails is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone.
IBCCES also provides access to resources such as AccessibilityCertified.com and AutismTravel.com, which are free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met IBCCES certification requirements.
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About TART Trails
TART Trails is a nonprofit organization based in Traverse City, Michigan, dedicated to bringing trails to life. We envision a future where pathways are an essential part of everyday life—connecting people and places, shaping culture and community, and inspiring care for each other and the environment.
About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be industry leaders and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For 25 years, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 125 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.
In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.
IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and AccessibilityCertified.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.
Meredith Tekin
IBCCES
+1 904-508-0135
marketing@ibcces.org
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