accessibility & Disability Inclusion

South Orange Downtown, South Orange Village and local non-profit Together We Bloom have partnered to prioritize and strengthen disability inclusion and accessibility at this year’s Under Cover Music Festival.

SOMA’s diversity is its strength, and this includes neurodiversity and disability.

Accessibility Supports & event map

  • Map of access supports

  • Event Information and Social Stories for kids and adults

  • Picture Communication Board

  • Sensory Accessibility Information

  • Sensory Activation Vehicle

  • Physical Accessibility Information

  • Accessible Seating Tent for disabled and senior attendees in partnership with SOMA’s Two Towns for All Ages

Event Information and Under Cover Music Festival Social Stories

Logistical details about the event, including parking information, can be found in the downloadable social stories below or on our frequently asked questions page. Downloadable PDF version includes alternative text for images for accessibility with screen readers for the Blind and individuals with low vision.

Social stories/social narratives are first-person narratives written to introduce a new, unexpected, or challenging situation with concrete language and pictures. They help the reader know what to expect and provide options for support.

Anyone can benefit from learning about situations ahead of time but social narratives are often particularly helpful for neurodivergent individuals including Autistic people or people with anxiety.

Social narratives should be used as a tool to empower and support inclusion and access, not to force compliance with social norms.

Social stories

Under Cover Music Festival Communication Board

Some individuals with intellectual, communication, or developmental disabilities use or benefit from Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) to support their language comprehension and expression, such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, or sign language. Some people who use spoken language some of the time, may prefer alternative communication during a sensory-intense or overwhelming experience like a music festival.

Communication partners can model and use this Under Cover Music Festival communication board by pointing to the pictures as you talk about the festival both before and during the event. An individual should never be required to point to the board, but communication partners can model and provide opportunity.

Downloadable PDF version includes alternative text for images for accessibility with screen readers for the Blind and individuals with low vision

These accessibility resources are free to download. If you're able, please consider a donation to Together We Bloom, so that they may continue their work to make our community more inclusive.

Sensory Accessibility Information

Under Cover Music Festival is an outdoor music festival where bands and performers play onstage in the Sloan Street Lot of South Orange Downtown. There are also tents and tables for food and activities around the perimeter of the lot.

The festival can sometimes have large crowds. In past years, the least crowded times tend to be in the beginning of the festival from 2pm to 4pm. After that the lot tends to fill up and is the most busy from 4pm-8pm. In the evening, from approximately 8 to 10pm, the crowd tends to be mostly right in front of the stage with more room in the back of the lot. 

Since the festival is in an emptied parking lot, there is very little shade and hot blacktop depending on the weather. If you need a break from the music, heat, or crowds, you can visit the sensory vehicle parked in the back of the lot. See below for more information.

Sensory Activation Vehicle

To increase the accessibility of the event for neurodivergent individuals or anyone needing a sensory break, the sensory-friendly South Orange Sensory Activation Vehicle (SAV) will be parked in the back of the Sloan Street lot, behind the kid zone. The SAV has low lighting, reduced sound, and regulating tools to provide a cool, quiet space for individuals with disabilities and sensory differences.

For your safety, minors (under 18) must be accompanied by an adult caregiver, either inside the van or right outside.

Physical Accessibility

Under Cover Music Festival is held in the Sloan Street Lot which is a large, paved parking lot in South Orange downtown that will have no cars during the event. 

All areas within the lot are wheelchair accessible. All sidewalks have curb cuts.

There is a slight grade to the lot but it is mostly flat. 

The sensory vehicle is parked in the back of the lot with a slightly steeper incline. There is a ramp that can be lowered on request to enter the vehicle.

After sunset, visibility in the lot may be limited. Although there are street lamps they are not very bright. 

Accessible parking and accessibility porta-potties are available and indicated on the map above.

Accessibility tent

This tent, located in the back of the lot, has space and seating reserved for individuals with physical disabilities, senior citizens, or pregnant individuals (and their families). This is presented in partnership with SOMA Two Towns for All Ages. Please call 973-558-0863

Questions & Feedback

If you have questions or comments related to event accessibility, please reach out using the form below.

About Together we bloom

Together We Bloom is a Maplewood-based 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to empower young children with disabilities and their families through equitable access to connection, communication, and community. The organization progresses this mission through two vital strategies:

  1. Providing sliding scale, neurodiversity-affirming speech and language therapy; and

  2. Working to transform our community into a place that is more inclusive and equitable for disabled and neurodivergent children

To learn more about making your event or organization more accessible or to support their work, please visit togetherwebloom.org/support