The Galleries in Bristol launches Calm Hour for people with Autism
Posted on: 16 Feb 2018The Galleries mall in Bristol will be introducing Calm Hour every day from Friday 16th to Friday 23rd February (excluding Sunday 18th February).
The Calm Hour will be from 9am-10am and will see the music turned off with the hopes to make the mall more welcoming for children and adults with Autism and other developmental conditions. The initiative supports child’s shop, the Entertainer after they launched their Quiet Hour in stores nationwide.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.
Autistic people may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, colours, temperatures or pain. For example, they may find certain background sounds, which other people ignore or block out, unbearably loud or distracting. This can cause anxiety or even physical pain. Conversely, they may be fascinated by lights or spinning objects.
Shopping centres and other large public places can prove particularly intimidating for individuals on the Autistic spectrum. The move by The Galleries serves to make the centre less overwhelming for those living with the condition, even if, just for an hour a day.
Colin Lang, Centre Manager, The Galleries says, “We have taken this move in wholehearted support of The Entertainer’s initiative to create a calmer, less daunting environment for those that live within the confusing and overwhelming realms of the autistic spectrum. We aim to make The Galleries accessible to all, which extends to those with much less obvious disabilities than traditionally considered.”
The Galleries is located at The Galleries Shopping Centre, Bristol BS1 3XA
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Hannah recently graduated with a degree in English with Writing. She is an avid writer, freelancer and creative. She is currently writing her first full-length novel and a collection of poetry. Always out and about in Bristol's music scene, she attends music events on a weekly basis.
