Inside the Office of Disability Accommodation Support (ODAS), the sensory room provides a space where Liberty University students and staff can find peace from the overstimulation of college life in DeMoss Hall Room 1264.
Ester Warren, the senior executive director of ODAS, oversaw the planning of the room and described the opportunities it provides.
“It offers the students a calming environment where they can decompress and self-regulate,” Warren said.
Two students from an upper-level interior design class created the room, and they had students with disabilities from ODAS provide design feedback. The inclusive nature of the planning process was crucial for the creation of the room.
“Students with disabilities were able to provide feedback about the design elements they liked and didn’t like,” Warren said.
The collaboration from these students helped to create an effective and student-focused room that culminated into what the sensory room is today.
“I love the fact it’s a sensory room designed by students, for students,” Warren said.
When entering the room there are three spots available, with one of the spots designed specifically for wheelchair users. The room holds two beanbags with weighted blankets, stuffed animals and fidget toys. A lighted bubble wall separates the two beanbags to give privacy to each student in the room.
In addition to the objects, the ambiance of the room is calming, with bubble walls, a cloud ceiling, adjustable mood lighting and ocean-wave noises playing softly in the background. Instructions for various relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, are available to try at each seat.
One of the guidelines of the sensory room is that it is completely screen-free. This omission provides a break from distractions and brings a true meditative atmosphere to the room.
According to Warren, students who have used the room expressed the benefits of it.
“The general feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” Warren said.
ODAS worked with a research team of graduate psychology students last semester to conduct a study on the sensory room and student stress levels.
“The student researchers found that students who participated in the study had significantly lower stress levels after spending time in the sensory room compared to stress levels measured before using the room,” Warren said.
These results support the need for short, soothing breaks in a stressful environment like a university. In the future, ODAS would love to create more spaces across campus that can serve as a sensory room for students. Warren shared that ODAS is exploring options such as pop-up sensory tents to provide students with additional locations where they can de-stress and relax for a few minutes throughout the day.
In order to enjoy a 20-minute time of relaxation, students simply need to stop by the ODAS office and scan in with their Flames pass. Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Valentine is a feature writer for the Liberty Champion.