Accessibility & Inclusion
Festival Inclusion
The Festival is committed to providing equal access to all participants. Supports such as calming areas, enhanced wayfinding, social stories and inclusion kits equipped with noise- and light-dampening devices are available for use during your visit.
Feature Performances information includes sensory considerations. Please take these considerations as general guidelines as we recognize that parents, guardians and teachers are the best judges of what is most appropriate for their children and students.
Please note: The St. Albert Public Library will also be handing out inclusion kits.
Wheelchair Accessibility
The Festival’s Feature Performance and Activity venues are all wheelchair accessible. Please contact the Box Office to confirm wheelchair seating. Wheelchair attendants will receive a complimentary ticket.
Note: Wheelchair seating is limited.
Supports Available
Festival Social Stories
Social Stories are short stories designed to help people navigate new situations and experiences by forming guidelines through pictures and text to explain a concept or activity in detail. They are used to help improve the understanding of social and environmental expectations that a person may encounter.
Social Stories are available to help Festivalgoers prepare in advance for new experiences, locations and get an idea of what to expect while they are on site.
Stories available:
- Visiting the Festival video (coming soon)
- General Festival
FESTIVAL VISUAL SCHEDULES
A Visual Schedule is a tool that provides information about what is happening. The sequence of events, what changes may occur and when it is time to stop an activity and move onto another are tracked by using a customizable timetable. The Festival’s Visual Schedule includes pictures and words that can be printed off and assembled into your own timetable once you have your tickets booked and you are ready to plan your day on site.
Inclusion Kits*
Inclusion kits will be available on loan during the Festival. Kits include one pair of noise-dampening headphones and one pair of sunglasses. Kits may be picked up for a one-day loan at the St. Albert Public Library.
Alternatively, kits will also be available for one-time use at all of the Feature Performance venues: The Arden Theatre, St. Albert Curling Club and Forsyth Hall
* Limited quantities are available
Calming Room
The Festival is full of large crowds, surprises and sounds that may be overwhelming to some individuals. The Calming Room is located on the main floor of St. Albert Place. This space is available for any of our patrons who require a place to sit and regroup after being overstimulated. It is dimly lit, less noisy and contains sensory supports.
The Festival site is surrounded by plenty of green space that can act as calming areas should the outdoors be more conducive to various needs. Some areas to note are Lions Park behind the St. Albert Curling Club and the north side of the river over the Children's Bridge.
Staff Training
A very important component of Festival Inclusion is staff training. Festival staff and key volunteers participate in training sessions to raise their awareness of what it means to be inclusive and to inform them about the services offered at Festival. We incorporate similar information into all our general volunteer training sessions. This ensures that staff and volunteers are able support our patrons during their Festival experience.
Last edited: January 14, 2026
