Their recertification also aligns with Visit Greater Palms Springs' greater initiative to achieve Certified Autism Destination™ designation

PALM DESERT, CA, UNITED STATES, March 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) renews Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert’s Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) certification. Renewing this designation proves the charity’s continual efforts and dedication to creating an inclusive and welcoming company culture, helping staff best assist and support the children of the Coachella Valley.

"Renewing our Certified Autism Center™ designation is a profound milestone for our organization. It reflects our unwavering commitment to understanding, supporting, and empowering individuals with autism and their families,” says Heidi Maldoon, Executive Director of Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert. “The renewal of our certification ensures our team remains equipped with the knowledge and tools to better serve our clients and create an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone in our community. Together, we are not just meeting needs—we are building bridges of opportunity and understanding that truly make a difference.”

Since their initial certification, Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert has continued taking steps to improve accessibility and inclusivity, integrating it into a part of their day-to-day practices. As part of their ongoing efforts, the charity has established several programs to better serve the members of their community.

- The Freedom Program provides mobility solutions like adaptive bikes and strollers, giving children the gift of independence.
- The Care Program identifies developmental delays early, ensuring children get the support they need during their most formative years.
- The Future Program fosters inclusion, helping children build confidence and connection.
- The Outreach Program delivers essential support to promote positivity, health, and quality of life for children and their family unit.

“Renewing the Certified Autism Center™ designation is a great step towards ongoing accessibility and support for every autistic and sensory-sensitive individual and their families. IBCCES is proud to continue our partnership with Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert, and we look forward to seeing the continual impact this training and certification will have on their community,” says Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman.

This CAC certification also aligns with an initiative Visit Greater Palms Springs started to turn Greater Palm Springs into a Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) – a designation awarded to communities where there are multiple trained and certified options for visitors to choose from when in the area, including entertainment, recreation, and lodging.

To enhance the visibility of their services and accessible offerings, Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert is also listed on the Accessibility App directory. Through the directory, users are able to view a gallery of the charity’s location, the accommodations the charity offers and their address, contact information and hours of operation.

The IBCCES Accessibility App is free for users to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of information and resources related to certified organizations, sensory-friendly spaces, and navigating public locations. By connecting users to locations worldwide, employment opportunities, and access to several other accessibility resources, the app helps individuals with disabilities better navigate life and get the most out of daily activities. CACs on the Accessibility App’s directory can list job postings specifically for people with disabilities, connecting organizations to individuals looking for employment, as people with disabilities are often unemployed or under-employed.

For more than two decades, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.

IBCCES also provides access to resources such as CertifiedAutismCenter.com and AutismTravel.com, free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) requirements.

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About Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert
Formed in the Coachella Valley in 1987, Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert is dedicated to promoting the health, mobility, independence and social inclusion of special needs and disadvantaged children throughout the Coachella Valley. By providing life-enriching assistance to local children, Variety hopes to help children experience all the joys of childhood while growing to become confident, independent and free to access all that the world has to offer. Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Desert, is a chapter of Variety – the Children’s Charity, an international charity with over 40 chapters around the world. Formed in 1928 in the Sheridan theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by a group of 10 show businessmen to help children in need, Variety is one of the oldest and most comprehensive children’s charities in the world.

Learn more at www.varietyofthedesert.org.

About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For over two decades, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 111 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.

In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.

IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and CertifiedAutismCenter.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.

Meredith Tekin
IBCCES
+1 904-508-0135
marketing@ibcces.org
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