About The Southern Centre

The Southern Centre Multi Sensory Experience opened in 2003 and has steadily been increasing in participation ever since. The Southern Centre was originally designed to provide a safe, stimulating, and inclusive environment for people with disabilities, however it is an accessible and inclusive recreation opportunity to all people of all ages and abilities.

Leisure and recreation are widely recognised as one of the basic needs of all people and are primary to an individual's development and social enhancement. As the Southern Centre is sited within a major public recreation/leisure complex, participants are involved in the leisure lifestyle of the community. We are all recreating together.

Multi Sensory Environments

The global development of Multi Sensory environments has produced some of the most imaginative recreation and leisure scenarios available to people with disabilities. Multi Sensory environments incorporate a wide range of sensory effects generally considered to be restful and pleasurable. Typical sensory equipment may include, music, ball pools, bubble tubes, fibre optics, aromatherapy, and specialised lighting.

It is generally recognised that we obtain great benefit from receiving sensory stimuli and the natural world is abundantly rich with stimuli. Individuals with profound and multiple disabilities appear to find it difficult to acquire and process sensory input. They often have mobility, health, and access issues. It may be difficult or painful to receive the rewards that motivate most individuals to become interested, inquisitive, curious and to explore. Natural stimuli can appear confusing and unpredictable and may even cause physical pain.

The Southern Centre is unique because it uses a specialised computer system to control the different pieces of equipment in the room. This allows an infinite number of environments to be created, based on the needs / desires of the individual participant. Our integrated switch systems also allow participants to control their own environment and optimise their sensory interaction.