We are very excited to begin work on a year-long project, Empowering Autistic Travel, researching autistic people’s experiences of travel and transport. We have ambitious plans to gain an in-depth understanding of the barriers that autistic people face, as well as exploring solutions for more comfortable and enjoyable journeys. 

The project has been made possible thanks to generous funding from the Motability Foundation’s User Research Grants programme. The Motability Foundation funds, supports, researches and innovates so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. It oversees the Mobility Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year.  

Rachael Badger, Director of Performance and Innovation at the Motability Foundation said:  

'We are really excited to be supporting the National Autistic Society to carry out this important research, which will be centred on the lived experience of autistic people. User research, led by organisations with a deep understanding of the issues and barriers, is a vital route to finding new solutions for accessible travel.'

Dr Jude Brown, Head of Evidence and Research at the National Autistic Society said:

'We are excited to have this unique opportunity to conduct participation research to address the isolating issue of transport inaccessibility for autistic people. With the grant from the Motability Foundation we will develop our approach in collaboration with autistic people, and tailor our findings into feasible actions for the transport industry. We look forward to bridging a significant gap in research, and influencing change for autistic people.'
 

Why are we doing this?

For an autistic person, getting from A to B involves navigating a neurotypical world of overwhelming sensory environments and confusing social rules, which can take a heavy toll. 

We also know that many autistic people: 

• Face barriers and inequalities in accessing education, work, healthcare and leisure activities.
• Enjoy routine, and can find unexpected change or unpredictability difficult.  
• Experience anxiety, often as part of daily life. 
• Face isolation, loneliness, societal judgement and discrimination. 

This can be exacerbated by difficulties in accessing transport and making journeys. 

However, despite the importance of the topic there is very little autism-specific research or guidance available. Our new project, Empowering Autistic Travel, will address this gap and centre autistic people in the research process. 

Our research question is: What are the key issues that autistic people and their families experience when travelling, how does this impact, and how can barriers be reduced within particular aspects or modes of travel?  

The project fits right in with the National Autistic Society’s Moonshot vision – to create a society that truly works for autistic people and their families.
 

How will we approach this?

We have lots of activities planned over the year-long project and have already gathered autistic people's thoughts in an initial survey, collaborated with a co-design group to include autistic voices in the method, and launched the main insight survey. The survey results will help us to narrow down our area of focus, so that we are guided by autistic people right from the start. We want to capture the thoughts and experiences of as many autistic people as possible, and will be running more surveys, focus groups, and interviews in the coming months.  

We are taking a participatory approach, meaning we are collaborating with autistic people about the research design itself. We have begun recruiting a co-design group of autistic adults who will meet with our team regularly to inform decisions and plans along the way. We are keen for our activities to include autistic people who are often left out of research, for example people from minority and marginalised backgrounds, and people who use few or no words.  

We will also be working with transport professionals to workshop potential ways to make journeys more accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for autistic people and their families.  

With all of this research activity and valuable insight, we are aiming to produce an impactful report, resources, and recommendations for wider change.

Watch this space for further updates on the project! For now, you can get involved by: 

• Completing our survey (open to autistic people, carers, relatives, and friends 18+)
• Registering your interest in our research activities (including transport professionals), through our brief screening questionnaire
• Spreading the word – please share the project with anyone who might be interested. We want this to be far reaching, and there is plenty of opportunity for involvement. 

If you would like any further information or have any questions about taking part in the project, please email our Social Researcher Anna.Taylor@nas.org.uk 

#EmpowerAutisticTravel
 

Further information

• Find out more about our research work
• Read our advice and guidance on transport 
• Find out more about the Motability Foundation.