The Southern Tier Independence Center in Binghamton has a new way for people to cross into The Twilight Zone and escape, literally, and it's the featured topic this week on The Southern Tier Close Up.

Speaking on the weekly local public affairs program, STIC development director, Bill Bartlow talks about what it took to finally be able to open a Twilight Zone-themed escape room in the basement of the agency's headquarters in Binghamton.

For people not familiar with escape room challenges, Bartlow explains how teams are sequestered in a particularly themed room and have a certain amount of time to "solve" the room by finding clues and keys in order to get out.

Since STIC has been doing escape rooms as a fund-raising vehicle for the agency that provides resources and support for residents with various disabilities and abilities, interest has continued to grow with the most popular escape still being the Valley of the Kings Egyptian-themed room.

Bartlow says the Xscapes rooms are available year-round and STIC continues to add new themes, all developed and built by their own staff.

The rooms are accessible and meet ADA requirements.  Bartlow says the challenges can be met by people of all abilities, sometimes with assistance.

For information and to sign up for an Xscape go to the Southern Tier Independence website www.stic-cil.org.

Also on Southern Tier Close Up, Bartlow talks about continued challenges facing people with disabilities even in the many years since the passage of the original Americans with Disabilities Act and how STIC continues to work to help people be a part of the main-stream community instead of institutionalized or confined to compartmentalized programs.

Southern Tier Close Up can be heard Sunday at 6 am on 99.1 The Whale.

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