Today and for the rest of this week, we’re proud to promote the National Autistic Society’s fundraising campaign for World Autism Acceptance Week.
From today, 2nd April to Friday 8th, we would like to raise awareness, start conversations, and encourage the support of those with Neurodiverse conditions, in particular for those with Autism.
You can help support the campaign, and ensure the National Autistic Society is always there to support autistic people and their families by sharing the charity’s post on social media, or by making a donation – https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/donate
“An understanding of Autism and an awareness of the challenges that individuals with Autism may face is incredibly important to everyone who can influence the built environment. When developing a scheme, we must ensure the space is inclusive and accessible to all. By understanding the disadvantages (and advantages) that a Neurodiverse condition, such as Autism, may bring, we can build a series of design principles that ensure everyone is welcome, supported by their surroundings, and is given the ability to succeed.” – Lee Hansford, Head of Creative Design.
Show you support by sharing our LinkedIn post – https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7180859041726758912
One in 100 people are autistic and we know many are not confident to share their diagnosis due to the stigma that surrounds autism. The aim of this campaign is to get people talking about autism and to help those who are struggling to reach out for support.
A message from Lee Hansford, our Head of Creative Design –
“The BBC recently re-ran a two-part series called Inside our Autistic Minds which gives a unique insight into the daily experiences and challenges of 4 individuals with Autism. The show gives us the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective and is an incredibly powerful to way build empathy, understanding and knowledge, which we can then apply when delivering Inclusive Environments. I’d highly recommend taking the time to watch the series, which is currently available on iPlayer.”
– https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0bbnh47
“If you prefer a Podcast, check out last week’s episode of 99% invisible, where Lauren Ober shares her vision of a world where everything is tailored to her very specific autistic needs. Key themes include: sensory quality, choice and the curb cut effect, which we promote as cornerstones of our inclusive design process.”
– https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/autism-pleasantville/
REAL STORY, from The National Autistic Society – https://www.autism.org.uk
The last two years, Lloyd’s Market Association has chosen the National Autistic Society as its charity of the year. Fiona (HR, Academy and Communications Director) from the LMA has had a special reason for getting involved. Her daughter Matilda, aged 11, is autistic and she wanted to help other autistic people and their families. In Fiona’s words:
‘In many ways, Matilda is like every other child, but in other ways, she is a bit different – she can only wear certain fabrics, eat certain foods, and struggles when her routine is disrupted or something unexpected happens. Sometimes this causes her to have a meltdown. However, over time, we have become much more adept to managing the situation, something as a parent you have to do. We are exceptionally lucky that Matilda was diagnosed with autism at age six and at primary school received direct support in class. Most girls are not diagnosed that young, and many families are not this lucky. It’s for that reason I wanted to support the National Autistic Society during this special week.’
