The Town of Perinton is creating a new Sensory Room at the Perinton Community Center, providing a dedicated, calming space designed to support individuals of all ages and abilities.
Located adjacent to the Community Center lobby and overlooking the pool, the Sensory Room will provide a safe, calming space that engages the senses through sight, sound, touch, and movement. The space will support emotional regulation, help reduce anxiety, and offer youth and adults an opportunity to relax during structured and drop-in activities. It will also support individuals with a wide range of disabilities and provide an engaging space for visitors while family members participate in other Community Center programs.
The room will feature a variety of sensory equipment and amenities, including specialized seating, LED tables, fidgets, an interactive wall, and other sensory-focused items. Shades will also be installed along the pool-facing windows, allowing the view to remain open or be closed to reduce visual stimulation. The project will enclose an existing glass-walled area adjacent to the lobby to create the new dedicated room.
Supporting a More Inclusive Community Center
The Sensory Room is part of the Town’s ongoing efforts to make Perinton Recreation & Parks facilities and programs more accessible and inclusive for all members of the community.
The Town previously commissioned Rochester Accessible Adventures to evaluate Perinton Recreation & Parks facilities, programs and practices and identify opportunities to enhance accessibility and inclusion. As part of that work, the resulting Roadmap to Inclusion specifically recommended establishing a designated quiet area within the Perinton Community Center for children with sensory needs or those who may benefit from behavioral support. It also identified sensory supports as an important tool for helping reduce behavioral escalation and social discomfort.
The new permanent Sensory Room builds on that recommendation by creating a dedicated space within the Community Center designed specifically around those needs.
Construction
Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, August 31, 2026, and is expected to take place in phases over approximately six weeks.
The Community Center lobby will remain open throughout construction. Visitors should expect typical construction noise, primarily during daytime hours. The existing vending machines will also be temporarily unavailable during a portion of the project before being relocated elsewhere within the lobby.
Project Funding
The Perinton Town Board recently approved the Sensory Room project, which will be fully funded through a Monroe County ARPA grant. The funding will support both construction of the new space and sensory equipment.
Additional updates will be shared as construction progresses and the Sensory Room prepares to open.
