Presley’s Place Inspires Change in Pittsburgh and Beyond

Presley’s Place originated when Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis embraced an idea proposed by Jason Rudge, a heavy equipment operator at PIT, whose son Presley has autism. Its influence goes beyond airports and has been a blueprint for schools, hospitals, museums, zoos and libraries.

At The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley, sensory friendly screenings are part of the regular programming. CEO Carolina Thor said accessibility has been a key part of the nonprofit’s mission since opening in 2017.

“We learned about the demand, and we learned from parents, from families, who were very open in sharing with us the importance of sensory friendly screenings,” she said. “Their direct feedback before and after these screenings made our entire team very determined to keep this going.”