A theme park where wheelchair users do not get parked in the front row, where sensory needs shape the design, and where “accessible” is not a single modified option, it is the whole experience. We sit down with Sharon Newhardt, inclusion strategist at Morgan’s Wonderland and Morgan’s Inclusion Institute, to unpack what ultra-accessible really looks like when you build a destination from the ground up.
We get specific about the craft behind inclusive design: how Sharon’s team brings people with different disabilities to the table early, how they pressure-test ideas with real feedback, and how they find vendors who can solve for safety and access at the same time. Sharon shares a standout example of accessibility innovation in themed entertainment: a 4D theatre “roller coaster” that includes moving wheelchair platforms so guests using wheelchairs get the same motion experience as everyone else. That kind of work does not just improve one park, it creates new products and raises the bar across the amusement industry.
We also dig into the bigger mission and how it scales beyond a theme park. Sharon tells the origin story that sparked Morgan’s Wonderland, explains why the park is for everyone, and describes how the Inclusion Institute helps airports, museums, hospitals, sports venues, and employers start with practical “low-hanging fruit” improvements and move toward lasting cultural change. If you care about accessibility, disability inclusion, universal design, accessible travel, or building better guest and employee experiences, you will leave with real ideas you can use.
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