EASE will be a place where people with special needs - be that blindness, special educational needs, a physical or mental disability or simply old age - can spend time with companion animals in a tranquil and safe environment. Full access for the disabled will be provided by paths and gates leading to the various parts of the sanctuary.
		There will be indoor and outdoor locations set aside for people to sit with a cat on their lap or a rabbit in their arms, stroke a donkey or perhaps take a dog for a walk. They can also sit in the scented garden and smell the flowers or by the lake and watch the waterfowl, enjoying the peace and quiet of a country scene and reaping the benefit of mixing with the animals in a special place. The emotional and physical benefits of companion animals are now being established in psychiatric hospitals and elderly care units, and there is well-researched evidence that the presence of animals can have a direct calming influence. Exercises and events demonstrating the therapeutic effect of animals are becoming more widespread, with animals being brought into hospitals to offer easement and comfort to patients, and people with disabilities being encouraged to ride horses.
		Furthermore, studies carried out in Britain and North America have confirmed that owning pets and mixing with animals carry considerable health benefits for everyone. Mentally disturbed children and adults, those with potentially life-threatening problems such as high blood pressure, and others recovering from serious illness, particularly heart disease, have all been given a will to get better. Most significantly, it has been shown that the life span of a pet-owner can be markedly longer than that of a non-pet owner, and that the comfort a pet brings can play an important part in reducing the stress of modern life. For those with special educational needs (SEN) animal welfare education can be of particular value, offering a range of benefits from helping meet the needs of animals kept at home, to providing opportunities to develop social, physical, cognitive and sensory skills, and encouraging the development of empathy skills and a wider awareness of the environment.