April 2, 2019

Making businesses more accessible for those with autism

Website launch on World Autism Day. 

Knowing where to join a queue in a shop or understanding the actual size of a coffee on offer in a café can be a real challenge for those on the autism spectrum.

UOW has been working in collaboration with the Corrimal Chamber of Commerce and ASPECT South Coast School to identify factors (the SERVICE principles) that make business environments more accessible for people with an autism spectrum disorder.

A website (www.autismfriendlycommunities.com) has been developed which hosts the developed SERVICE principles and will enable business owners to create more accessible environments for those in need in the Corrimal community. It was launched on 2 April 2019 to coincide with World Autism Day.

The project team, including Dr Pippa Burns (School of Medicine) and Dr Sim Lau (School of Computing and Information Technology) have been working on the project in partnership with individuals living with autism along with their families and carers.

Dr Andrea Garner (School of Education) has been on the project as the Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) partner. The project team has also consisted of young people who are themselves on the autism spectrum.

An Autism Friendly Community is a collective of businesses, services, organisations, and individuals that aim to create accessible and supportive spaces that enable people on the autism spectrum and their families to engage meaningfully in community and daily living activities.

This pilot project has been undertaken under UOW’s Community Engagement Grants Scheme.

The main aim of the project is to have business owners visit the website and to use the audit tool so as to make their businesses more accessible for people living with autism spectrum disorders. It is argued that low or no cost changes can be made to allow improved access for those people on the autism spectrum. Businesses that implement some of the principles can apply for a window badge to show their commitment to working every day using autism friendly practices.

Project team members highlight the sensory overload faced by those on the autism spectrum who cannot deal with excessive noise and overcrowding in some businesses. The website pinpoints how noise and overcrowding should be reduced where possible. Properly labelling coffee cups to identify clearly what is large, medium and small can help those people with autism.

Too many questions, too many sounds, too much visual confusion, too many changes, or too much unpredictability can all cause incredible distress to a person with autism.

Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) says autism is a life-long developmental condition that affects one in 70 Australian people.