The Speech and Language Therapy Society is recognising Autism Awareness week (1st-7th April) and World Autism Awareness day (Tuesday 2nd April). We are asking shops/restaurants/ cafes/ bars (SU) on campus to get involved with a campaign taking off across the UK - #AutismHour
Have you heard of it? It's a campaign started by the National Autistic Society which started as a one-off and is now running weekly in stores like Morrison's and The Entertainer.
What happens in #AutismHour is:
- Lighting is dimmed
- Background music is switched off
- Loudspeaker announcements are avoided, where possible
- Other noises such as the beeps at checkout counters are turned down or off
- Staff provide customers with more time to look around and pay at their own pace
Why? For many people (700,000 in the UK) with autism the world has too much information and this can feel overwhelming. This can cause sensory overload which leads to outbursts or meltdowns. 64% of autistic people say they avoid the shops and 28% have been asked to leave a public place for reasons associated with their autism. We'd like to raise awareness about this and push towards acceptance.
Come visit us in store 1-2pm on April 2nd and feel free to pick up a leaflet or speak to a society member for more information.