• Tate Liverpool will be holding the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour every day from Monday 2 to Saturday 8 October
• Currently, 64% of autistic people avoid going to the shops because of their autism
• The National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour campaign is asking shops and businesses to take simple steps that will lead to a more autism friendly world
Tate Liverpool has teamed up with leading autism charity, the National Autistic Society, to launch the UK’s first week-long event, launching 2 October, where shops and services take 60 minutes to provide autistic people with a break from the usual overload of ‘too much information’.
The Albert Dock gallery will be holding their autism hour at 16:00 to 17:00 from Monday 2 to Friday 6 October and 10:00 to 11:00 on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October. Tate will be taking simple steps to make their gallery, shop and café more autism friendly. The lights in the shop will be dimmed and the hand driers will be turned off in the toilets with hand towels provided instead. There will be quiet spaces around the gallery in case visitors need a space to relax and be calm and staff members will be able to offer assistance if needed. In the
There will be quiet spaces around the gallery in case visitors need a space to relax and be calm and staff members will be able to offer assistance if needed. In the café, music will not be played and drinks will be served in paper cups to reduce noise levels. Ear defenders will be clearly visible in the café and foyer and copies of our “Planning Your Visit” easy-read guide will be available
More than 1 in 100 people are on the autism spectrum which means that someone sees, hears and feels the world in a different, often more intense way to other people. Autistic people often find social situations difficult and struggle to filter out the sounds, smells, sights and information they experience, which means they feel overwhelmed by ‘too much information’ when out in public. The National Autistic Society’s recent survey revealed that 64% of autistic people avoid sometimes going to the shops because of their autism.
Following the launch week, Tate Liverpool will be holding regular Autism Hours, responding to feedback from visitors. The forthcoming dates for Autism Hour at the gallery are the first Saturday in November and December: Saturday 4 November 2017, 10.00 – 11.00 and Saturday 2 December 2017, 10.00 – 11.00.
Mark Lever, CEO at the National Autistic Society said:
“It is really encouraging to see shops and services such as Tate Liverpool getting involved in the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour. Like anyone, people on the autism spectrum and their families want the opportunity to go to the shops. But many find the often busy, loud and unpredictable environment of public places overwhelming and avoid them altogether.
“Our Too Much Information campaign has highlighted that the smallest changes can make the biggest difference for autistic people and we are confident this week-long event around the UK will help shops and services understand how we can work towards a more autism friendly world.”
To find out more information about attending a National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour, please visit: http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/tmi/autism-hour.aspx