Our Accessible environments resource looks at how you can adapt your customer service to support autistic people and their families. 

Many autistic people have sensory differences, meaning they can experience over or under sensitivity to different sensory stimuli (for example, light or sound). 

This can be a positive thing, but can also cause distress or discomfort. Some examples of what may cause sensory overloads or shutdowns are: 

• bright lights 
• excessive noise 
• smells 
• crowds 
• queues 
• overly hot or cold environments.  

Watch our  Too Much Information film  which shows how Alex, aged 11, experiences a typical UK shopping centre and how overwhelming it can become. Alex finds it difficult to filter out noises and lights as he walks into the centre.   

Many autistic people will avoid everyday situations because of their sensory sensitivities. Simple adjustments can be made to make environments more autism-friendly.

Accessible environments – hints and tips 

There are many ways you can adapt your environment to minimise the risk of sensory overload. Please see a list of these adjustments below: 

Bright lights 

• Reduce the brightness of the lights within your buildings, whether through dimming or turning off lights wherever possible – this can be in a specific area, if doing this for the entire building is not feasible.  
• Have sensory tools such as sunglasses available for customers. 

Noise 

• Reduce the volume of background music, either throughout the entire premises or in a specific, clearly signposted area. You can also signpost if an area is likely to be particularly noisy at a different time.
• Provide alternatives to noisy hand dryers in toilet areas, such as paper towels. 
• Have headphones or ear defenders  available for customers to use, suitable for use by both children and adults.

Crowds and queues 

• Let autistic customers know, on your website for example, which times tend to be quieter and which are busier. 
• During busy periods, if possible allow customers into your venue outside of usual opening hours times, opening earlier or later in the day.
• If appropriate, use a fast track system for autistic customers, so they can bypass queues and large crowds which may cause anxiety and sensory overload – for example, the National Space Museum has such a system.

Temperature 

• Assess in which ways you currently monitor temperatures and can adapt such temperatures, across your buildings.

Maps 

• Autistic people often like to prepare in advance before visiting shops, stores, museums, and so on. This reduces their level of anxiety. Having maps on your website will help people prepare and familiarise themselves before their trip. 
• If possible, put together a sensory map, stating which parts of a premises are particularly bright, or noisy. A good example is the British Museum’s sensory map.
• If appropriate, offer alternative routes such as ‘quiet trails’ through a venue.

Prepare a sensory story 

• A sensory story takes a visitor on a journey through your venue using the senses. An example of a sensory story is Thornbridge Hall, a stately home in Derbyshire.  

Have a designated quiet space  

• Have a quiet space within your business or service that is away from the main crowds, with reduced noise and lighting where an autistic person and their companions could retreat to if an environment becomes too much. This space should also be clearly signposted. 
• Such quiet spaces could also feature soft seating and sensory toys, such as fidget toys, stress balls and games. The St. Enoch Shopping Centre in Glasgow features such a quiet space. 

Research from University College London in 2021, looking into how neurodivergent students can be better supported, saw 92% of people surveyed state a quiet space would be beneficial and 60% say quiet spaces in retail environments were important, or very important. 

Autism hour 

• Organise a special autism hour during a less busy period, or this could be a quieter session just for autistic visitors where lighting is dimmed and background noise is reduced. This could be a monthly event, opening an hour or two later or earlier than usual. 

Lidl stores in Northern Ireland offer Quiet Hours from 6pm-8pm every Tuesday evening, as do other supermarkets such as Morrisons and Asda. 

Relaxed performances 

Theatres, cinema and other venues that offer live entertainment could offer specific performances or screenings that are autism-friendly. This could include: 

• Reducing sound levels 
• Changing lighting 
• A relaxed attitude regarding moving in and out the auditorium 
• Quiet areas away from the main areas of the venue 
• Training for staff and cast to help autistic people.

Please remember that every autistic person has individual sensory needs and preferences, but there are adaptions you can make that will help many autistic visitors.

More information and useful links

Good practice guide 

Our  Good practice guide, produced in collaboration with Mind, aims to help mental health professionals adapt talking therapies for autistic adults and children. Informed by the views of mental health professionals, over 1,500 autistic people and almost 2,000 family members, the guide describes often simple adjustments and adaptations which can make a huge difference. There is useful advice on what services can do as a whole to improve the experience of autistic people, as well as suggestions for therapy sessions.  

Too Much Information 

The National Autistic Society’s  Too Much Information  campaign was created to increase public understanding of the five core features of autism and to give people and understanding of the actions they can take to help autistic people.    

Premier League sensory rooms  

Premier League clubs are starting to install sensory rooms within their football stadiums.  

Sensory street 

Sensory Street is a project, looking into how public places can be challenging sensory environments for autistic people and what can be changed to make them more enabling, featuring many key findings. 

This Accessible environments webpage is also available as a  downloadable PDF.