By Esther Lauaki
Libraries and community centres in Wyndham will soon be autism-friendly as part of a three-month pilot program.
The trial, in conjunction with Amaze Australia, is designed to promote inclusion of people with autism and was informed by feedback from a focus group.
Family friendly portfolio holder Mia Shaw said the council was working towards making every space comfortable for those on the autism spectrum and is aiming to become an Autism Friendly City.
“Council is leading the way with these inclusion measures and hopes to encourage local businesses, institutions and community facilities to adopt similar approaches,” Cr Shaw said.
She said as well as some of environmental changes, the council was offering autism awareness training to staff at all facilities.
Other initiatives include the creation of quiet rooms and spaces, sensory scripts which inform people with autism about what to expect once they arrive, and visitor guides for local towns and cities that include pre-planning information.
Cr Shaw said such systems provided more opportunity, engagement, and participation for residents with disability.
Council, Amaze, and the autistic community will also work together to develop a friendly cities toolkit, including online resources for autistic people and the wider community to use to use when supporting the inclusion of autistic people in their local areas.
The trial period will be rolled out from this month.
The council will then evaluate the program to decide whether it will be run permanently.
