Living with Autism

Autistic people experience barriers to inclusion, participation and belonging in all sectors of life, including education, work, housing, and community life. Sometimes these barriers are physical, such as flickering Web interfaces and fluorescent lights that can prevent us of services or spaces, or trigger seizures. Sometimes they are procedural, for example the use of confusing multi-part instructions, or expectations that everyone can perform social interaction in the same way. Often they are social, with normative beliefs and behaviours placing obstacles in the way of understanding and belonging. Most work in the field of autism has focused on changing autistic people rather than dismantling these barriers.

In this workshop, we will address how the focus can be shifted. We will discuss practical ways to make places, services and communication more accessible for autistic people, and what policymakers can do to ensure inclusion.