SuperValu Walkinstown to introduce autism-friendly evenings
By Aura McMenamin
SuperValu Walkinstown will make Tuesday evenings autism-friendly for families that find grocery shopping in everyday settings stressful.
Starting tomorrow evening, the store will be introducing some changes that will “regulate and reduce the amount of sensory stimulation taking place for people with autism”.
The changes will be introduced once a week, every Tuesday night from 7-9pm, with SuperValu dimming the lights, turning off the radio, and turning off chill fridge lights where possible.
Staff will also turn off loudspeaker announcements to make the weekly shopping trip as stress-free as possible for people with autism.
The online post has been shared by a number of local groups, with parents of children on the autism spectrum welcoming the news - and of the opinion that more stores should introduce something similar.
One woman commented on the post: “Brilliant! Great idea. I will be heading over during those times, a lot of people like a quieter place.”
While another woman said: “Sometimes the [background] music can be so irritating and distracting. Thank you for caring and taking care of other people’s needs.”
For further information, visit SuperValu Walkinstown’s Facebook page.
