Autism poll calls for more accessible environments

Dimensions, a not-for-profit autism and learning disability provider has announced the results of a public survey which calls for shops, restaurants and supermarkets to become more accessible to people with autism. Two hundred and fifty people took part in the online poll during autism awareness month, voting for public spaces that they would like to see become more inclusive and sharing views around autism friendly environments.

Dimensions will be using the survey results to help advise businesses on the types of environmental factors that people with autism may find challenging and what simple but effective alterations they can make to become more accessible.

Restaurants were voted as the place most people would like to see made more accessible with 32 per cent of people making it their preferred choice. Supermarkets received 27 per cent of the vote followed by leisure centres (17 per cent), shops (10 per cent), theatres (9 per cent), events such as fireworks displays or sporting events (4 per cent) and banks with 1 per cent of the vote.

Dimensions’ autism lead, executive director of practice development Lisa Hopkins, said: “Accessibility is not just about wheelchairs and ramps. This is clearly something people feel passionately about. Dimensions is committed to working with the wider community to achieve positive outcomes for people with learning disabilities and people with autism and we believe that businesses and services can become more accessible by listening to the experiences of the autism community.”