Public events can bring together people with different sensory preferences and needs. Sound, movement, lighting, and nearby crowds may be manageable for one person and difficult for another. Accessibility can therefore involve more than the ability to access a venue; it can also concern the conditions in which visitors take part.
Samantha Judge serves on KultureCity’s Board of Directors and helped establish a permanent sensory room at Madison Square Garden. Her work supports participation for people with sensory needs and invisible disabilities.
Sensory Needs and Participation in Public Events
Sensory needs can affect how a person experiences sound, light, touch, movement, or combinations of these. Some individuals are sensitive to particular types of stimulation, while others find it easier to manage when they know what to expect. Autism is one condition associated with sensory processing differences, although autistic people do not share a single set of preferences. A person may be comfortable with some parts of an event and find others difficult, depending on the environment.
At sporting events and concerts, the sensory conditions can change as an audience gathers, announcements begin, or a performance moves between quieter and louder moments. Guests often have little control over the volume of amplified sound or how crowded an area becomes. For someone who wants to attend but needs respite from that activity, the availability of a separate environment may make it easier to plan the visit.
A dedicated sensory room gives guests somewhere to step away from the main event environment. Visitors can use the space according to their individual needs.
KultureCity aims to improve access to sporting events, concerts, and entertainment venues for people with sensory needs and invisible disabilities. Samantha Judge’s KultureCity board service forms part of her involvement in that mission. The nonprofit also collaborated on the Madison Square Garden sensory room, connecting its broader work on inclusion with a specific public venue.
The Aaron and Samantha Judge Sensory Room
The Aaron and Samantha Judge Sensory Room opened at Madison Square Garden in 2024. Created with KultureCity and the venue, it is a permanent, endowed space for guests with sensory processing needs during major events. Its intended function is to provide a calming environment while visitors are attending a game, concert, or other gathering.
The room includes adjustable lighting, calming visuals, comfortable seating, tactile elements, a bubble wall, and other sensory tools. These features offer different conditions from the noise and activity of the main arena.
Tactile elements are features that visitors can explore through touch, such as objects with different textures or surfaces. A bubble wall provides a visual feature through the movement of bubbles in water. These offer ways to engage with the room beyond sitting quietly, while adjustable lighting allows the brightness of the space to be changed.
The project’s purpose also extends to shared family experiences. A child or adult with sensory needs may want to attend the same event as other family members but find the surrounding stimulation difficult. By providing a separate environment inside Madison Square Garden, the room is intended to make those occasions more accessible. Sam Judge’s role in establishing the room was part of the collaboration with KultureCity and the venue.
Samantha Judge’s Wider Work and Other Achievements
Beyond the sensory room, Samantha Judge has supported KultureCity through endurance athletics, raising awareness and funds for its sensory inclusion mission. At the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon, Samantha Judge’s support for KultureCity included representing the nonprofit while completing the race in 3:31:44.
Guide running involves another form of support within endurance sport. Depending on an athlete’s preferences, a guide might communicate information about the route, discuss conditions before the start, or remain alongside the runner when needed. Runners may also agree on signals in advance, so they are not relying entirely on conversation during the race. The type and amount of assistance can differ between athletes.
At the 2026 Boston Marathon, Samantha Judge served as a guide for Adrienne Bunn, an accomplished endurance athlete with autism. In guide running, the competing athlete’s decisions and performance remain central, while the accompanying runner provides agreed support.
Samantha Judge’s charitable involvement also includes the ALL RISE Foundation, which she supports alongside Aaron Judge. Its work centers on children and young people, with a focus on education, character development, health and well-being, and leadership. These areas encompass both learning and personal development, including how young people care for themselves, take responsibility, and relate to others.
Samantha Judge’s other achievements include university recognition for her graduate research in kinesiology at California State University, Fresno. Kinesiology examines human movement, including how muscles and joints work together during exercise and sport. Biomechanics focuses on movement and the physical forces acting on the body.
Her project examined throwing mechanics and their potential relationship to ulnar collateral ligament injury susceptibility in Major League Baseball players. Fresno State recognized the work as the Outstanding Master’s Degree Project in Kinesiology in 2017.
About Samantha Judge
Samantha Judge, formerly Samantha Bracksieck, is a California native and a kinesiology graduate of California State University, Fresno. She is based in New York, New York. Her graduate research examined throwing mechanics and potential ulnar collateral ligament injury susceptibility in baseball players. In 2017, the university recognized her work as the Outstanding Master’s Degree Project in Kinesiology. She has also completed multiple marathons, including the TCS New York City Marathon.
She serves on KultureCity’s Board of Directors and helped establish the permanent Aaron and Samantha Judge Sensory Room at Madison Square Garden. Her charitable involvement also includes the ALL RISE Foundation, whose work addresses children, education, character development, health and leadership. Further information is available through Samantha Judge’s official website.
