St. Johns County is officially Florida’s first
Certified Autism Destination
The Chamber and the county offer a matching grant program for businesses to become Certified Autism Centers.
St. Johns County is the first Certified Autism Destination in Florida. The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) awards the designation to destinations where a significant number of hotels and attractions have completed specialized training to better serve autistic visitors. Certified locations across the county are listed on AutismTravel.com and in the free IBCCES Accessibility App.
The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce led the initiative, with funding support from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. The Chamber coordinated the local effort and worked with businesses to bring them into the program. The certification shows a commitment to inclusivity for autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals and their families.
The Chamber and the county offer a matching grant program for businesses to become Certified Autism Centers. A Certified Autism Center is a business or organization that has completed extensive training from leading autism experts and has designed specialized programs or accommodations for guests with autism and other sensory disorders. The grant helps businesses make those accommodations and train customer-facing staff to better serve neurodiverse guests.
How the Autism Certification Grant Works
- The business will apply for the grant.
- The Chamber Grant Review Committee will review the application and determine eligibility; the business will be notified when the review is complete.
- Once selected, the business will receive a quote for certification from IBCCES and determine whether or not to accept.
- Upon completing certification, the business will pay its full invoice to IBCCES.
- The business may then request reimbursement of 50% of the certification cost by providing proof of payment to the Chamber.
- The Chamber will review the reimbursement request and upon approval, the Chamber will issue an invoice to the County and issue reimbursement to the business.
Certified Partners in St. Johns County
DoubleTree by Hilton
116 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084
City of St. Augustine Visitor Services
10 S. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Disease Vector Education Center
120 EOC Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32092
First Coast Cultural Center
6000B Sawgrass Village Circle, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Fury Water Adventures
250 Vilano Road, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Hilton Garden Inn St. Augustine
1600 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd., St. Augustine, FL 32084
Ola Restaurant at Castillo Real St. Augustine Beach Resort
530 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine, FL 32080
Old Town Trolley Tours & Attractions, including Old Jail, Potter's Wax Museum and St. Augustine History Museum
Old Town Trolley, Old Jail and St. Augustine History Museum: 167 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084
Potter's Wax Museum: 31 Orange St., St. Augustine, FL 32084
Renaissance St. Augustine Historic Downtown Hotel
6 W. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Sawgrass Marriott
1000 PGA Tour Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
100 Red Cox Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32080
St. Augustine Sailing
3076 Harbor Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32084
St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce
100 Southpark Blvd., Suite 405, St. Augustine, FL 32086
St. Johns County Parks & Recreation
2175 Mizell Road, St. Augustine, FL 32080
St. Johns County Visitors and Convention Bureau
29 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084
The Waterworks, operated by St. Johns Cultural Council
184 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084
Third Space Improv
200 Malaga St., #7, St. Augustine, FL 32084