Buccaneers Launch 5-Year Easterseals Partnership to Expand Stadium Accessibility, Autism Support
Five-year deal funds sensory rooms, in-seat toolkits, and connects families to statewide disability services
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans with sensory needs will find expanded resources at Raymond James Stadium this season under a new five-year partnership with two Easterseals affiliates that formalizes and funds the venue’s sensory rooms and in-seat toolkits.
The agreement unites Easterseals Southwest Florida and Easterseals Florida under the “Easterseals Disability Services” banner as official sponsors of the stadium’s accessibility features. The sensory rooms — located on the main concourse in the south end zone near sections 120 and 131 — were renovated in 2023 with support from head coach Todd Bowles and his wife, Taneka. The in-seat toolkits typically include noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, weighted lap pads, and visual schedules designed to help fans with autism, PTSD, dementia, and other sensory-processing conditions remain in their seats during games.
“Partnerships like this allow us to reach beyond our traditional audience and connect with more individuals and families who may not yet know that Easterseals is here for them,” said Tom Waters, president and CEO of Easterseals Southwest Florida, which serves Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an incredible platform and a deep connection with communities across our region.”
The collaboration extends beyond game-day accommodations. Awareness messaging will appear across Buccaneers platforms — website, stadium signage, radio broadcasts, and social media — directing families to therapy, education, autism diagnostics, employment services, mental health programs, and family support available through the Easterseals network across Florida. The organization has operated for more than a century.
For the Bowles family, the partnership is personal. Their youngest son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 2. Since then, Taneka Bowles has raised more than $250,000 for autism-focused organizations and helped establish the Autism Acceptance Center, a Tampa resale boutique that employs teens and adults on the spectrum. Coach Bowles participates annually in the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” initiative to support autism awareness.
“This partnership with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helps us do more than raise awareness,” said Beverly Johnson, president and CEO of Orlando-based Easterseals Florida. “It creates opportunities to connect individuals with disabilities to resources, support, and pathways to meaningful employment.”
The Buccaneers join a growing number of NFL teams investing in permanent sensory infrastructure. The league partnered with KultureCity in 2019 to certify stadiums as sensory-inclusive, a designation requiring staff training, designated quiet spaces, and available sensory bags. Raymond James Stadium earned that certification in 2021; the Easterseals sponsorship now provides dedicated funding for the program’s ongoing operation and expansion.
Families seeking services or game-day accommodations can visit championfordisabilities.org or contact the Buccaneers’ guest services department ahead of home games.
