When the doorbell is pressed outside Ivy League Chiropractic, Dr. Emily Roback gets a notification on her smart watch which shows a video of her patient waiting outside.
Roback can then text a message, like "I'll be right there" which will read aloud by the doorbell's speaker.
Technology is just one of the ways the office is able to provide a welcoming environment for people with sight, hearing and sensory issues, as well as people who are sensitive to things such as touch and light.
It was founded by Roback in 2022 as Canada's first sensory-friendly chiropractic office and recently moved to a new location in downtown Parksville.
“Environment is a big piece of the whole healing process,” said Roback, who was born profoundly deaf. “If you start removing the stressors one by one, that your whole body is able to restore itself quickly.”
These stressors can include scents, humidity, noise levels, temperature, lighting and fans. Her new office is slightly larger and includes a number of improvements. Its ground floor location is easy to access and Roback says that means less anxiety for patients.
Patients have commented on how quiet and peaceful the building is.
The fans are so quiet they are barely audible, the rooms are sound-proofed and the studs in the walls have been staggered to help trap noise in the walls.
Although there is a steady stream of traffic on the street just metres from the front door, there is hardly a sound to be heard inside.
Lights are recessed into the ceiling to avoid harsh direct lighting, or Roback can use a room's mirror light for extra soft lighting.
“You can have a health provider help you heal, but if the environment is, like bad lighting, for example you’re down on your stomach and you turn over and there’s bright, glaring lights in your face, it’s uncomfortable," she said. "You want to maximize comfort.”
The office is easy for people pushing strollers and using wheelchairs to get around, with its wide halls. Treatment rooms are large enough to manoeuvre them as well. The building's HVAC system maintains a comfortable atmosphere temperature and humidity-wise.
Roback moved into the new space in late May and began to see patients within a few days.
Women Entrepreneurs of BC and Women Entrepreneurs National assisted her with the construction costs.
Roback has been a chiropractor since 2007 and has worked in offices in Ontario, the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Vancouver Island. She opened her original sensory-friendly office in Parksville in the summer of 2022.
Ivy League Chiropractic is located at 103 - 164 Alberni Hwy. An open house is scheduled for June 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
