AAIN History

In 2013, TRIAD, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s autism institute founded its community engagement program. The program initially included partnering with individual organizations and in 2015 met collectively as the Inclusion Network of Nashville (INN). The network was established with a goal of increasing accessibility and inclusion for neurodivergent individuals and their friends and caregivers at local community organizations.  With the expansion outside of Nashville, the network was renamed the All-Access Inclusion Network (AAIN) in 2020.

In the first decade, the network has grown from initial partnerships with local community organizations to a network of over 40 community organizations, accessibility consortiums, and disability organizations across the nation. We’re passionate that all individuals deserve to feel welcomed while visiting community organizations but also have the opportunity to belong and contribute to making our communities such a great place to live and visit.

• 2013
  • Families asked for support visiting community organizations in Nashville
  • TRIAD established partnerships with nine established and well attended community organizations including (Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum, YMCA Fun Company, Nashville Zoo, Nashville Opera, Nashville Children’s Theater, FRIST Museum of Art)
  • TRIAD partnered with individual organizations to develop accessibility supports (e.g. visual schedules, social stories, etc.), provide individualized professional development staff training and support inclusive events at the organizations.
  • In the first year, TRIAD partnered to provide 405 professional development hours to 128 community staff members, create 22 supports, and support 12 inclusive events.
• 2014
  • Awarded the Coston Education Award by Autism Tennessee
  • Awarded Jackson National Community Fund Grant
  • Supported first camp at Nashville Zoo specifically for neurodivergent children
  • SOLD OUT first accessible children’s opera with Nashville Opera
• 2015
• 2016
  • Organizations met and formed the Inclusion Network of Nashville (INN) was formed
• 2017
  • Awarded the Full Inclusion Award by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)
  • Developed Staff and Volunteer Accessibility Online Module (3 hour)
  • Developed the Train-the-Trainer Lab: Building Capacity for Community Inclusion Online Modules (6 hours)
• 2018
  • Inclusion Network of Nashville established its Advisory Committee
• 2019
  • Facilitated the Autism and Employment Panel
• 2020
  • Awarded grant from Academy of Country Music to support TRIAD Family Training & Community Engagement Programming
  • Awarded the Philanthropic Contribution Award
  • Renamed, “All Access Inclusion Network” (AAIN)
  • Developed toolkit – “Promoting Inclusive Practices in the Community. Created and available to help organizations continue to create an inclusive culture and community for all” in collaboration with The Vanderbilt Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) training Program.
  • Expanded outside of Tennessee for the first time
• 2021
  • Awarded funding by the National Science Foundation for MoZaics: Modeling Zoos and Aquariums after Inclusive Communities of Science in collaboration with Oregon State University’s STEM Research Center and the Association for Zoo’s and Aquariums (AZA)
  • Collaboratively published, “What do we really mean by “inclusion?”: The importance of terminology when discussing approaches to community engagement” in
  • Represented on Metro Nashville Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities
  • Presented invited webinar entitled, “Building Community Partnerships for Meaningful Collaboration” for Association for University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Mental Health Special Interest Group.
• 2022
  • Participated in national network of access consortiums. The Cultural Access Knowledge Network is coordinated by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.