The National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour is a week-long national campaign with stores and businesses across the country taking simple steps to make their shops a more autism friendly environment for 60 minutes during this week. With over 4,500 stores taking part, the hope is that this will enable more autistic people and their families to use stores.
Pets at Home will be welcoming Mr Zeichner today alongside Tom Purser, Head of Campaigns at the National Autistic Society to explain what they will be doing ahead of the launch of their Autism Hour this Sunday (8 October). The NAS have suggested to businesses that simple tasks such as turning down the music or dimming fluorescent lighting can make their environment more suitable for autistic people.
Daniel Zeichner MP said: “I am delighted to be supporting the National Autistic Society campaign by visiting Pets at Home to see what they will be doing for Autism Hour this weekend.
“It is through campaigns like this that we can understand better how autism affects the everyday life of those with the condition. It also gives autistic people and their families an opportunity to undertake what might seem to most as an everyday task.”
“I hope that we see more of these campaigns in the future until it becomes normal for stores to consider the needs of autistic people when designing their store.”
Mark Lever, Chief Executive at the National Autistic Society, said:
“A National Autistic Society survey found that 64% of ac people avoid going to the shops, and 28% have been asked to leave a public place for reasons associated with their autism. We are confident that the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour will provide an opportunity for autistic people and their families to use shops and services that the general public take for granted.
“We are encouraging autistic adults, children and their families to head to the interactive map on our website so they can plan visits to local shops and businesses and enjoy a break from the overload of too much information.
Matt Davis, father to Isaac, aged 9, who is autistic, said:
“Noise, lighting and crowds are all triggers for Isaac so either we avoid shops altogether or we have to put in a great deal of preparation to ensure Isaac doesn’t become overwhelmed. Unfortunately, my wife and I find that the stress doesn’t stop with having to pay close attention to Isaac’s sensory overloads, we also have to take into account the public’s perception of Isaac’s behaviour and that can be difficult.
“In recent years, we have seen an improvement in Isaac’s ability to go to public spaces but we have to make sure it is familiar, it has a quiet area, the lighting is not overwhelming and it is not overcrowded. As you can imagine, predictability in public spaces is not always guaranteed so we still experience many meltdowns. The idea of having specific ‘Autism Hours’ where the triggers of sensory overloads are reduced would make life so much easier and would allow Isaac to prepare effectively.”