6th January 2019
Last year I wrote a blog reviewing the “Quiet Hour” that Morrisons supermarket was promoting for people both on the Autistic Spectrum and those who just want a quieter shopping experience. This was a regular slot where they make changes to improve the time spent in the shop if you struggle with sensory issues etc. Since that review there have been some other stores that have followed suit.
This has been encouraged through the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour which you can read about here https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/tmi/autism-hour.aspx, which is a campaign run yearly, over a week, to encourage businesses to be more accessible to Autistic people. A lot of shops and stores take part, and this has led to some big organisations having a regular weekly or monthly time slot doing the same thing.
As someone on the Autistic spectrum, I have been interested in this and whenever I have heard about a shop in the news that is going to run a “Quiet Hour” I have visited that shop to see what they are doing. What I have found is that some shops do this really well, whilst others are sadly still not really achieving the best experience for their Autistic customers. In fact in my opinion there are a few stores that seem to be just ticking a box and have obviously not listened to any actually Autistic people, support organisations nor their friends and families, that they might have consulted.
The other thing that I have found is the term often used is “Quiet Hour” which I think may have led some organisations to feel that simply “turning the music off” is enough. It is not, and I think a better term might be “Accessibility Hour”.
There is an issue with the hour too. Most of these initiatives are early Saturday morning for just one hour. This is not always convenient for some Autistic people, and different time slots and different days are needed. Better still why not make it a permanent change to your store. Ask yourself does a supermarket (for example) need to playing music or have intense bright lights in order for people to do their shopping? Who knows? But a store that does take this step would definitely have my custom.
I don’t want to come across as whinging or being negative here, I do think the Autism Hour Campaign and the shops that are running the changes are taking crucial steps to improve the shopping experience for those who find it daunting, traumatic and difficult. Well done. Any small change and improvement is a real big step forward but this needs to be the foundation for further improvements.
Therefore I am going to end this blog with my thoughts as an Autistic on what shops should do to help me and others like me. It is not a definitive list just some of my ideas. I am sure it is different for everyone though, and you will have your own ideas too. Here goes…
• Reduce noise – “Quiet Hour” normally means switching the music off, but noise needs to be considered as a whole. I have been in a shop where the music stopped at the beginning of the hour, and two members of staff carried on singing, yes singing, whilst they were stacking shelves. They actually had good voices but isn’t this going against the what the hour is trying to achieve? Which leads to my next point…
• Staff Training – I often wonder how much awareness the staff have about the “Quiet Hour”. They need to be trained to understand their customers at all times and act in a professional helpful way. I know some Autistic people do not liked being approached and in some shops staff will normally go over and ask “Can I help?”. This might be the wrong thing to do during an hour dedicated to benefit Autistic and socially anxious people. Good staff training would help this. Again I am not saying this is not being done already though. I hope it does, but if it isn’t then it should be.
• Lights dimmed – sound is not the only sensory issue that creates a problem for Autistic people. Another common sensory attack comes from artificial lighting. Dimming the lights would help tremendously with this. I appreciate that the level of lighting needs to safely illuminate the store and that there are issues with security too, but that doesn’t mean that the current lighting can not be reduced.
• None or less shelf stacking during the “Accessible Hour” – a lot of people can struggle with the crowds in supermarkets and busy shops. I know a lot of Autistics prefer to do their shopping either online or at the beginning or end of the stores opening hours, in order to avoid people. The shelf stacking cages and staff make the aisles smaller still and also add to the noise. Sometimes I have seen staff talking loudly whilst working too. I am glad they are communicating, but again the volume needs to be appreciated and this should be included in staff training.
• More awareness that the store is actually doing anything – it amazes me that there is no information to say that the shop is taking part in an “Accessibility Hour”. No posters, noticeboards or information. I think that this would help raise awareness not only for store employees, but also for other customers using the shop at the time. The customers might then even add to making the environment more acceptable by whispering rather then talking etc. I have noticed too that the times of the “Accessibility Hour” are not displayed with the stores opening times or online opening times. How are people supposed to know when to take advantage of the “Quiet Hour”? I have only known about these regular events from news articles and not everyone sees these.
• I have already mentioned different times, longer periods or even permanent changes to allow more accessibility options for customers.
• Finally consult Autistic People – this is the best way to find out what exactly your store can do. I am just one person and everyone one has different needs, but by discussing with a range of people you can find out what more you can do to encourage Autistic customers to use your shop. There are a lot of charities that you can consult too. Another idea might be to have a member of staff available to talk to Autistic customers and their acquaintances, but in a safe way. Not all autistic people like to be asked questions and approached directly. However, some people might be willing to give feedback and suggest ideas if they wish to. The option should be there.
Hopefully that is some food for thought. I am pleased that things are changing but there is room for improvement also.