Mesa , just east of Phoenix , became the first-ever Autism Certified City ( ACC ) in the world in April 2019 . The ACC designation is awarded by IBCCES in places where key community stakeholders like health care , education , local government , hospitality , leisure and corporate members are trained and certified to attract and better serve those with autism and other cognitive disorders . In Mesa and its surrounding area , almost 60 businesses and organizations completed autism certification training , qualifying them as CACs by IBCCES . More than 500 employees of Mesa city parks , recreation and community facilities and more than 1,200 public safety and law enforcement officers are fully committed to autism certification training , which brings the grand total of community involvement to almost 4,000 community members completing or committing to their very own certification . Mesa offers a full-sensory and authentic Arizona experience for every family with plenty of CACs to visit .
Visit Mesa continues rolling out a warm welcome for individuals on the autism spectrum who are visiting the city of Mesa . “ Our goal is to ensure individuals with autism and their families enjoy an ideal vacation here ,” said Marc Garcia , president & CEO of Visit Mesa , in a 2019 press release from Visit Mesa . “ As a parent of a child diagnosed on the spectrum , not only is inclusivity the right thing to do , it makes business sense .”
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