Members of a Skills & Social Group run by regional charity Autism Wessex are leading calls for local shops and leisure businesses to become more autism friendly this Christmas.
The local adults, who have autism, are backing the charity’s bid to encourage businesses to be mindful of customers who may have autism and their families and look at how easy it can be to improve accessibility.
Armed with free Autism Friendly Guides produced by Autism Wessex, members of the Skills & Social Group are joining supporters, staff and other individuals supported by the charity in approaching shops and businesses across the region to raise awareness and understanding of autism.
Siún Cranny, CEO at Autism Wessex, said; “More than 1 in 100 people in the UK have autism, that’s over 7000 children and adults in Dorset alone. For someone with autism and their family, shopping and other leisure activities can be stressful. The noise, lights and crowds can be overwhelming and the feeling of being judged by others can make that anxiety worse.”
Siún continues; “We know from research and our experience that many people with autism avoid going to the shops, so in the run up to Christmas this year we want to get shops and leisure businesses thinking and talking about autism. Not only will becoming more autism friendly open doors to thousands of potential new customers, it will help to create a more inclusive community.”
There are a variety of small steps that a business could take to make a big difference to someone with autism and their family. These include turning down music, dimming or switching lights off where it is safe and possible to do so and sharing information about autism with staff and the public.
Karen Wilmshurst, Advocacy Services Manager at Autism Wessex who runs the Skills & Social Group, said; “In a group discussion it was clear how big a difference it would make to everyone just knowing that their local shops were more aware of customers who have autism. I plan to join our members in taking the Autism Friendly Guide into shops and asking Managers if they will get involved. I hope as many people as possible will join us and hopefully together we can make our community more open to everyone!”
Autism Wessex has an Autism Friendly Guide and a Factsheet available to download for free at www.autismwessex.org.uk/autismfriendly. The charity also offer dedicated autism training courses.
Autism Wessex is the regional charity that provides specialist support and services to anyone affected by autism across Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Somerset. The charity runs weekly Skills & Social Groups in Bournemouth and Dorchester, offering local adults with autism the opportunity to build confidence, develop new skills and meet other people.
For further information on the Autism Friendly initiative and to find out how you can get involved by becoming an Autism Advocate visit www.autismwessex.org.uk/autismfriendly or email enquiries@autismwessex.org.uk. You can follow @autismwessex on Facebook and Twitter.