THE UNIVERSITY of Reading has released new research showing that supermarkets and other retailers need to do more to make their environments easier for autistic people.
A new guide is being launched by Centre for Autism at the university to help retailers make their spaces more inclusive to people with autism, who can often feel overstimulated by the environment.
People with differences in sensory processing can find bright light, loud noises, strong smells, and changing temperature challenging to deal with– all common occurrences in many supermarkets.
While supermarkets currently have quiet hours, where they quieten music and other sounds in store, research shows that more is needed.
The guide offers advice on how retailers could minimise these to better accommodate for those with different sensory needs.
This includes giving staff training to help them support customers with sensory processing differences.
It also recommends further reducing sensory input such as strong-smelling cleaning products as well as sounds, and making navigating the store easier through maps and signage.
Tara Cooke, an autistic person who contributed to the guide and is speaking at the launch event, said:
“Going out shopping is a regular part of most people’s lives, but as an autistic person I sometimes find the experience to be difficult or impossible.
“I can find supermarkets loud, confusing and frustrating, and I often rush through just to get the essentials before leaving, or put off going altogether.
“I am passionate about trying to make people aware of the struggles that autistic and neurodivergent people have in everyday life. Hopefully projects like this will help the world to become a little bit more friendly for those of us that are neurodivergent”.
Dr Cathy Manning, lecturer in Psychology at the University of Reading and leader of the project said: “Supermarkets and other retailers really need to up their game to better meet the needs of autistic and neurodivergent people.
Having ‘quiet hours’ is a good first step but does not go nearly far enough to support autistic people in their stores.
She explained, however: “Quiet hours are often not at convenient times, and while they make going shopping less noisy, they don’t solve the huge ranges of other problems that autistic people come up against.
“Switching to online shopping is not the answer either, as this brings its own challenges for autistic people, who may struggle with new people arriving at their front door, items being substituted or items not coming at all.
“This new guide, which has been co-designed with autistic people based on years of participatory research, demonstrates how small changes in a range of areas could improve the experiences of autistic shoppers and employees in supermarkets.
“We know from our autistic contributors how desperately needed this guide is.”
Rebecca Oates, a retail designer for the John Lewis Partnership who is speaking at the launch event, said: “The retail landscape is changing and a new generation of consumers will increasingly choose businesses with a social conscience.
“By delivering spaces that are inclusive of more people, retailers can not only improve their brand perception and profit but will also support broader social change towards a more accepting society.”
