Fireworks present challenge for locals with disabilities

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Fireworks lit up all over the Central Coast on Fourth of July weekend, and many enjoy the spectacle as a way to celebrate. But not everyone does.

Natalie Gonzalez, a mother from Salinas, said she actually had to leave her home for the weekend because the sound of fireworks was too much for her son, who has Down syndrome.

"I mean, he's able to, of course, you know, show that he's very anxious. It makes him very anxious," Gonzalez said. "As soon as they start, he covers his ears. Bedtime is getting a lot earlier."

She said the problem isn't just on the weekend of the Fourth of July, but in the weeks before and after the holiday.