Aruma - Providing a safe space for those with sensory needs

Community events are designed to bring people together, offering opportunities to connect and celebrate with others. But for some people, the crowds, loud noises, and bright lights can quickly become overwhelming. Sometimes, all it takes is having a quiet space to pause, relax, and reset before returning to the event to enjoy time with loved ones.

This is the challenge Aruma set out to address through the Calm Cove Project, alongside support from our Charitable Foundation. While community events aim to be inclusive, they are not always designed with the needs of people with sensory issues in mind. Calm Cove offers a sensory-friendly space where people can step away from the noise, regulate their senses, and feel comfortable participating in community events.

At the heart of Calm Cove is a thoughtfully designed space that prioritises comfort, safety, and sensory regulation. Inside Calm Cove, visitors can access a range of calming tools and activities, including sensory toys and iPads, as well as soft seating like bean bags. Additional elements, such as gentle head and shoulder massages, further support relaxation and can help visitors feel at ease before returning to the event.

Calm Cove is supported by experienced and qualified staff, including support workers and Positive Behaviour Support Practitioners. Their presence ensures that individuals and families feel supported, particularly if someone becomes overwhelmed. With the right guidance and tools, staff can help participants regulate their emotions and return to baseline.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to go out in the community without feeling like they’re restricted by their needs or how they’re feeling. Having an initiative such as Calm Cove can give people that sense of safety and comfort. Just that opportunity to be in the community and be involved, but also have a space to relax if they need to.”

Bobby Newton, Senior Business Development Partner at Aruma.

The impact of Calm Cove is best seen through the experiences of the families it supports. Recently, a family attended Newcastle Permanent’s Cinema Under the Stars event in Port Macquarie with their children, including a young boy living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, severe intellectual disability, epilepsy, and high anxiety.

While the family was excited to attend, they were also understandably anxious about how their son might respond to the overwhelming environment. Upon arrival, however, he entered Calm Cove and showed signs of immediate comfort. He was able to use the sensory toys, spend time on the iPad, and relax in a space that felt safe and familiar to him.

When the movie started, and the noise levels increased, the environment quickly became too overwhelming for him. But instead of needing to leave, he returned to Calm Cove, where he was able to settle almost immediately. Surrounded by familiar sensory tools and supported by the Aruma team, he relaxed and spent the remainder of the evening comfortably in the space.

For the family, it meant they didn’t have to miss out. What could have been a short and stressful outing became an experience they could enjoy together. This success story is a small but powerful example of what inclusive design can achieve.

Our partnership will help deliver Calm Cove to nine community events across regional NSW, creating more moments like this for families in the community.

The future for Aruma and Calm Cove is to see sensory-friendly spaces become the norm at mainstream events. Aruma has begun exploring opportunities to bring Calm Cove to sporting events, shows, concerts, and festivals.

By expanding into these spaces, they hope more families and individuals can experience a sense of comfort and safety, knowing that when they head out into the community, there is a place to unwind and reset if needed.

About Aruma

Aruma is one of Australia’s most experienced disability providers and are the champions of inclusion and human rights. They partner boldly and respectfully with people and their support circles to live the life they want, the life they choose, across every stage of their life.

Aruma offers expert care and personalised disability support through local teams, backed by strength as a registered national provider with a 60+ year service history.

Aruma delivers support to people The Aruma Way, a co-designed standard of service, to ensure every person with disability is supported Your Way, the Safe Way, the Right Way, Together.  