Caribbean News
Beaches Resorts Becomes First Resort Company In The World To Attain Advanced Certified Autism Center Credential
#Providenciales, May 1, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – With Autism Awareness Month coming to a close, Beaches® Resorts is proud to announce its commitment to enhancing its autism-friendly resorts by now becoming the first resort company in the world to attain the Advanced Certified Autism Center (ACAC) designation by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). This new certification training to be completed in May spans all three Beaches Resorts – Beaches Negril Beach Resort & Spa and Beaches Ocho Rios Spa, Golf & Waterpark Resort in Jamaica, and Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa in Turks & Caicos – with a core focus on the company’s Kids Camp, Entertainment and Watersports operations, as well as staff from other areas of the resort. In April 2017, Beaches Resorts led the charge and became the first resort company in the world to be recognized by IBCCES as a Certified Autism Center (CAC).
With one in 59 children diagnosed with autism in the U.S., special needs travel is the fastest growing family travel segment. Beaches Resorts’ new level of commitment to this underserved market empowers its staff to confidently ensure every family can enjoy the award-winning Luxury Included® vacation experience in a safe, fun and comfortable manner tailored to their specific needs.
“We are proud to continue paving the way for families with individuals who have special needs, including children on the autism spectrum, to travel comfortably and truly live up to our tagline – the ‘Resorts for Everyone’,” said Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International. “As a family-built brand, we want to provide all families with a superior level of service that makes them feel the most welcomed at our resorts. We are especially excited to further expand this important training to our resort’s watersports program, with PADI® certified dive professionals and other team members earning a special ‘ACAC’ designation for each Aqua Center at Beaches, allowing children on the spectrum to safely experience the incredible waters of the Caribbean.”
The Certification Process & Special Services
The ACAC designation is the next level of certification once an organization has achieved the CAC certification. It underscores that the organization has gone above and beyond to train its staff and provide substantial modifications for visitors with autism or similar sensory needs, and designations are granted by the IBCCES.
The ACAC certification process – which will come to life across different aspects of the resorts, both pre-travel and on property – entails a variety of important aspects including:
- An in-depth training of 40 credit hours on autism sensitivity and awareness, in the areas of communication, motor skills, social skills, environment awareness, emotional awareness, bullying, early childhood identification, transition to adulthood, and more.
- Activities and accommodations that must be available for guests on the spectrum
- An annual onsite audit and review
- Substantial changes to protocols and physical space to accommodate various needs
Special Services include the option of a ‘One-on-One Beaches Buddy’ – personalized, private childcare with a buddy who is certified by IBCCES, and can be pre-booked (for a nominal fee) – as well as:
- A personalized pre-travel questionnaire to identify requests and preferences with a dedicated Special Services team to assist in the vacation planning process
- A Culinary Concierge program to support specific dietary restrictions and special requests
- Modified check-in options for private, in-room, check-in and the availability of sensory toys for children during check-in
- Identification of quiet spaces during noisier times of the day and evening
- Modified design and decoration in Kids Camps and Entertainment areas to create a more sensory-friendly environment
Since achieving the CAC certification in April 2017, Beaches Resorts has also been instrumental in extending training to hundreds of its travel agent partners, as well as internal sales and marketing teams, through IBCCES’ Certified Travel Agent Professional (CATP) in an effort to better communicate with and assist families within this highly specialized market.
“Beaches Resorts has gone above and beyond to lead the hospitality industry toward a more inclusive future for all families seeking unforgettable vacations tailored to their needs,” said Myron, Board Chairman of IBCCES. “By becoming the first resorts to achieve the ACAC certification, Beaches is even more prepared to welcome families with autism, and we applaud them for their ongoing commitment and leadership in providing travel options for this underserved market.”
Calming Waters
Beaches Resorts’ watersports teams have also earned another first – staff have completed the ACAC training and certification, and are among the first to earn the designation in conjunction with a collaboration between the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) and IBCCES. The certification makes appropriate programming from autism-certified staff available for families looking to enjoy daily PADI-certified diving at the company’s world class dive operations, voted Top 10 in the world. According to a recent study of 1,000 parents with a child on the spectrum, 87 percent would be more inclined to visit centers where staff are trained and certified in autism awareness. Many individuals on the autism spectrum are drawn to water, and the Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation (ASDF) highlights that swimming can help children on the spectrum improve speech, coordination and balance, social skills, self-esteem, cognitive processing, communication skills and oral motor skills.
“Diving has frequently proven to be a transformative and healing experience for individuals with physical or emotional challenges and their families,” said Kristin Valette-Wirth, Chief Marketing Officer of PADI Worldwide. “We are honored to work together with our global network of dive centers and resorts, including our longtime partner in Beaches Resorts, and IBCCES to offer more opportunities for those with special needs to heal, explore and connect through diving. Together with Beaches Resorts and IBCCES, we look forward to inspiring and enabling more travel and shared experiences for all to create lifelong memories that have the power to transform lives.”
The Introduction of Sesame Street’s Julia
In September 2017, as part of its long-standing partnership with Sesame Workshop ®, Beaches Resorts introduced the arrival of Julia, a Sesame Street Muppet on the autism spectrum, who brought an exclusive new activity to Beaches Resorts: Amazing Art with Julia. During this activity, children are greeted by Julia, a 4-year-old girl on the autism spectrum, who loves to paint. Julia highlights how people can express themselves through art, and children can explore, experiment and create in an open-ended art activity. As part of brand-wide efforts to increase awareness of autism, all Beaches Resorts staff underwent sensitivity training with “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children” resources.
For more information about Beaches Resorts’ autism-friendly resorts in the Caribbean, please visit https://www.beaches.com/all-inclusive/autism-friendly/.
Release: Sandals Resorts
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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