Music and concerts for all with Sarah Nematallah, Xenia Concerts.

07/15/21 • 44 min

In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving Audio Conference, hosted by Sensory Friendly Solutions, founder & CEO Christel Seeberger and guest hosts Sophie Yang, and Christopher Basmadjian, Occupational Therapy Students, we will learn from Sarah Nematallah, Xenia Concerts, on how to create musical performances and concerts an experience for everyone to enjoy. Hear Sarah Nematallah share how Xenia Concerts offers high-quality music and arts performances in an environment that welcomes everyone. Sarah walks you through the simple steps that make the sensory experience a match for the audience.
Episode Guide:
0:20 Welcome to guest Sarah Nemahtallah!

0:45 Xenia Concerts and how it became what it is today

7:01The importance of feedback

8:10 Sarah's Role as Executive Director of Xenia Concerts

10:57 Resources that Xenia Concerts uses

12:40 sound.colLab

14:05 Accessibility Limitations of 55+ population

16:13 Creating a Quiet Space

16:50 Making sure the audiences voices are heard

18:31 Doing a Walkthrough in Advanced

23:05 Accommodating Seniors and Hearing Loss

24:58 Preparing the Audience

27:03 Welcoming all audiences

28:00 The Impact of COVID-19

31:37Creating a Sensory-Friendly Livestream

33:58 In-person performances & COVID-19 Measures

35:04 Always Room for Improvement

36:40 The future vision of Xenia Concerts & Acessibility

40:34 Sarah's key advice in making music and performances more accessible to older adults

41:50 Thank you, Sarah Nematallah!

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0:45 Xenia Concerts and how it became what it is today

7:01The importance of feedback

8:10 Sarah's Role as Executive Director of Xenia Concerts

10:57 Resources that Xenia Concerts uses

12:40 sound.colLab

14:05 Accessibility Limitations of 55+ population

16:13 Creating a Quiet Space

16:50 Making sure the audiences voices are heard

18:31 Doing a Walkthrough in Advanced

23:05 Accommodating Seniors and Hearing Loss

24:58 Preparing the Audience

27:03 Welcoming all audiences

28:00 The Impact of COVID-19

31:37Creating a Sensory-Friendly Livestream

33:58 In-person performances & COVID-19 Measures

35:04 Always Room for Improvement

36:40 The future vision of Xenia Concerts & Acessibility

40:34 Sarah's key advice in making music and performances more accessible to older adults

41:50 Thank you, Sarah Nematallah!

Previous Episode

Changes in hearing for adults 55+ with Lynn Leblanc

0:49 How Lynn got involved with the Deaf Community

2:28 Lynn's role as the Executive Director of the NB Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Inc.

5:16 Programs & Services Offered by the NBDHHS

8:01 Lynn's Experience Working at the NBDHHS

11:02 Avoiding Isolation for Deaf Individuals

13:16 Traveling with hearing loss: A Client Example

16:01 How owners & operators can make their guests more comfortable

18:05 The Baby Boomer Population

18:45 Creating a great customer experience

20:01 Airports and Hearing Accessibility

23:35 Significant challenges for hard of hearing travelers

28:38 Hearing aids don't always solve the problem

30:06 What's important for restaurants and businesses to know about hearing aids?

32:32 You are going to be including a whole lot more people by nature, by trying to include this one group.
36:30 COVID-19 and the impact on the hard of hearing

39:40 What are non-manual cues and why are they important

45:28 The difference between someone who is hard of hearing and someone who is completely deaf

50:50 Lynn's tips for tourism and restaurant operators.

56:15 Thank you, Lynn Leblanc!

Next Episode

Changes in vision for travelers 55+ with Shelley Ann Morris

In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving Audio Conference join Sensory Friendly Solutions Founder Christel Seeberger, and guest hosts Sophie Yang and Christopher Basmadjian, occupational therapy students, as they take a deep dive into the extensive expertise of Shelley Ann Morris, traveler with low vision.
Learn from the lived experience of Shelley Ann Morris, a traveler with low vision. As the receptionist/administrator for the Canadian Council of the Blind and the host of the radio show, Welcome to My World, Shelley Ann has person-first advice to create exceptional experiences that include more people.
Episode Guide:
0:20 Shelley Ann Morris
0:46 Shelley Ann's role at the Canadian Council of the Blind
2:37 Shelly Ann's Radio Show
4:39 Shelly Ann's Experience with her Own Vision Loss
7:26 Traveling with Vision Loss
10:03 Clients of the CCB
10:34 Travel Accommodations for People with Low Vision
14:50 CAPTCHA's
15:40 bigger, brighter, bolder is always better.
18:15 Shelley Ann's Experience on the Train
20:33 Using Apps like BlindSquare
21:11 Airport and Train Signage
22:30 Shelley Ann researches locations prior to travels
23:10 Speaking to the Businesses Directly by Phone
24:25 One Size Fits all Approach Does Not Work
26:34 Shelley Ann's Tips to Travel or Tourism Operators
31:38 Talk to the traveler to understand their own personal needs.
33:25 Checking into a Hotel
35:10 Attending a Museum or Festival
37:40 Touchscreens provide barriers
42:15 Listen & Act Accordingly When Supporting Low Vision Travelers
45:42 Thank you, Shelley Ann Morris

Sensory Friendly Solutions - Music and concerts for all with Sarah Nematallah, Xenia Concerts.

Transcript

Christopher Basmadjian: [00:00:00] Welcome to the 55+ Travelers: Arriving and Thriving audio-conference, brought to you by Sensory Friendly Solutions. I’m your host Christopher Basmadjian. In this episode you will also hear the voices of co-hosts Sophie Yang, my fellow occupational therapy student, as well as Sensory Friendly Solutions founder and CEO Christel Seeberger. Our guest in this episode is Sarah Nematallah, co-founder of Xenia Concerts. She will share the mission o