Here’s your chance to visit the Museum barefoot—no shoes required! We’re offering this special sensory experience to show support for the neurodiverse community as part of the Barefoot Autism Challenge, which runs concurrent with Autism Acceptance month in April each year. Tyler Leech, who created the challenge, explains that autistic people often prefer going barefoot for the natural stimulation, which helps them process information about the environment and feel grounded in their surroundings. The purpose of the challenge is to encourage people of all different personality types to try a barefoot experience, and to advocate for the autistic community.
Registration is not required, and we offer a free coat check service for all visitors.
Tyler Leech lives in Des Moines, Iowa, where he works at Wells Fargo and is a Board member of the Autism Society of Iowa. He created the Barefoot Autism Challenge in 2017 to encourage greater understanding of and support for the autistic community.
Ken Posner is a New York resident and frequent visitor to Dallas, where he works at Mr. Cooper, the nation’s leading mortgage servicer. As a runner and hiker, he goes barefoot as much as possible for the simple joy and natural connection, and he is an enthusiastic supporter of the Barefoot Autism Challenge. Posner collaborated with the DMA to create the Barefoot Experience event.
