Making Our Centres Autism‑Friendly

There are 700,000* autistic people in the UK, and trips to the shops can be stressful for autistic adults and children. Frustration or anxiety can be caused by not knowing why we need to shop or what will happen when shopping, and a person can be overwhelmed by sensory experiences in retail destinations. NewRiver is proud to support a Quiet Hour initiative, ensuring centres and their occupiers adapt their environments to make autistic shoppers more comfortable and to reduce sensory overload, including:

• Turning down music, in-store tannoy announcements and other controllable noise
• Dimming or switching off lights where it is safe to do so
• Training employees to understand autism and how they can help

Many of the shopping centres in the NewRiver portfolio host regular weekly or monthly Quiet Hours.

*figures from www.beyondautism.org.uk