(Ireland) Westport working to be "Autism Friendly Town"; 3 year effort

Mar 4, 2025, Mayo Live: Westport Autism Friendly Town officially launched

A large crowd, which included local representatives, TDs and members of other Autism Friendly Town committees in Mayo, attended the launch, which took place at Westport Town Hall last Friday.

The event also marked the launch of Westport Autism Friendly Town’s official website and their draft town plan, which includes several measures to make Westport a more attractive place for autistic people to live in and visit. 

As part of the plan, Westport Autism Friendly Town will engage with 30 local organisations; ten businesses, ten public services and ten voluntary organisations, who will become

‘Autism Friendly Champions’. 

At least three employers will be engaged to provide work experience or employment opportunities to autistic people, who are more likely to be unemployed than the general population. 

The Autism Friendly Town framework was created by AsIAM, Ireland’s autism charity, to establish realistic, tangible, achievable measures for communities seeking to become more autism-friendly. 

To achieve Autism Friendly Town status, a community must prepare and implement a three-year plan.

Westport Autism Friendly Town aims to ensure that each ‘champion’ undergoes training, visual supports and sensory accommodations in place for autistic people by the end of Year 3 of the plan. 

Sensitivity to light and sound can make going out in public a stressful experience for autistic people - it is estimated that one in 27 people in Ireland are autistic. 

Therefore, Westport Autism Friendly Town aims to promote the development of community events, camps and festivals with reduced noise levels, controlled lighting and clearly marked quiet spaces. 

The town will also mark Autism Awareness Day (April 2) with annual events and will promote neurodiverse artists and performers. 

Westport Autism Friendly Town will also continue to support ongoing local initiatives to make the town more welcoming to people with autism. 

These include the sensory-friendly shopping experience offered by Kavanagh’s Supervalu, which sees the store turn off the music every Tuesday evening. . . .

Other local organisations, including the W Cinema, Westport GAA and Westport United, have run similar initiatives tailored towards the needs of autistic people in recent times. 

Annmarie Campion, a member of Westport Autism Friendly Town’s committee, said the launch marked the start ‘of a journey towards a more inclusive and welcoming town’ which ‘embraces all individuals, including those with neurodiversity’. . . .

 “It is about creating a space where every individual can feel safe, valued and understood,” she said. . . .