Emily Elsworth
Autism trainer and advocate
Photo: Emily Elsworth
As an autistic person, what elements of a museum or attraction can be hard for you?
I was only diagnosed with autism 19 months ago, at the age of 27. As a child, I didn’t know I was autistic or had sensory processing issues, but I found many attractions overly busy and very challenging. I remember trying to avoid interactions with people as much as possible.
I struggle with sudden noises – I don’t like it when museums have microphones hanging from the ceiling that suddenly start playing when you walk past. The lighting on particular exhibition panels can make it difficult to take in the information. And too many conflicting visuals at one time can be a real barrier – I know exhibitions sometimes like to cram a lot of things into a small space, but that can be incredibly overloading for someone who has sensory processing needs.
If there are too many people in the room, I find it hard to focus on what I’m looking at. I don’t like entrance halls that are too bright and there’s lots going on. Lack of clear signage is an issue.
Can you think of a particular time you visited an attraction and it was a difficult experience?
I recently went to visit a zoo which claimed on its website to be inclusive. I had a really horrible experience and I don’t think I’ll go back.
I got off the bus and was greeted by blaring music – it was like an outdoor nightclub – and staff shouting information. The ticket gate and entrance were not well explained, there was no clear signage and once we got into the zoo, there were no staff around to ask questions. I was trying to understand the maps – which all had bright backgrounds, making them hard to read – with the loud music and noise going on around me.
If I get overwhelmed, I normally mask when out in public, but that day was probably the closest I’ve come to having a meltdown in a public place. I got very agitated and I could see visitors walking past and tutting. I was with my mum, and there were no staff around for my mum to approach and say that I needed a quiet space.
What advice would you give to staff about how to react if a visitor is becoming visibly overwhelmed?
Don’t stare, and don’t ask loads of questions because that’s just going to cause more overwhelm. If they’re with someone else, talk to that person, direct them to a quiet space or sensory space, depending on what’s causing the overwhelm. If they’re on their own, give them space. Move other visitors along if they’re staring or tutting.
It’s also important to offer somewhere to go and sit and recharge once the meltdown is over rather than immediately trying to continue with the visit.
Can you think of a positive experience of visiting a museum or attraction?
To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever had a wholly positive experience from start to finish. The closest I’ve come was a recent visit to the Tower of London. They had very good information on their website about where to go and very good signage around the attraction. There was a one way system in place in the towers, and clocks telling you when the next tour was taking place so it was very clear. The warders were really friendly if you needed help and it was obviously easy to spot them.
But there were crowds, which was difficult. And I struggled to find anything I could eat in the cafe because there are so many texturals things I can’t manage.
One thing that people often don’t think about with sensory needs is food. It’s really helpful to have your menus on your website – if there’s no menu I can read in advance, that immediately makes me anxious. Many attractions have their menus on screens that can be hard to read, and I feel I’m holding people in the queue up while I go through every single ingredient on the menu. It would also help to have a wider choice of food, and perhaps some ingredients left over so people can request food made up that’s sensory friendly.
Is there a gap in provision for adult visitors with sensory needs?
There’s a huge gap in provision for adults with autism – there seems to be an idea that sensory needs are just about children. We need acknowledgement that those needs don’t end when you turn 18, although support often does. I was diagnosed as an adult, and many other people are too, so you’re missing out on a whole generation of people who desperately need additional access and support.
The differences in adaptations for adult and child visitors aren’t huge – you still need to think about sound, visuals, smells and textures. It’s more of an issue about communication – so much of the information is addressed to ‘parents and carers of children on the autistic spectrum’. I can still obviously read that information, but it annoys me that it’s aimed at the parents instead of giving that ownership to the autistic person.
What other advice do you have for museums and attractions trying to be more inclusive?
If you want to be inclusive, the welcome is so important, and that starts when a visitor books their ticket. Think about your pre-visit, have a visual story on your website with a map, showing the entrance, the toilets and other relevant information.
Also, make sure the things you say are there, are actually there. Do you have lots of staff around? Is it clear who the staff are? If I need to ask a question, can I? Make sure your staff understand what a sunflower lanyard means.
If you’re planning to make adaptations, bring in the people that need the adaptations – otherwise you’ll make assumptions that might not be right. Don’t just aim your information at parents. Adults have sensory needs too, and we like going to museums and attractions on our own.
If you make a mistake, don’t be defensive – be grateful for feedback and be open about the fact you didn’t get it right on that occasion.
And don’t be scared. There are so many positives to bringing in a whole new group of people into your attraction that you’d be missing out on if you didn’t make those changes.
I recently went to visit a zoo which claimed on its website to be inclusive. I had a really horrible experience and I don't think I'll go back