A Morrisons supermarket on Ascot Road in Watford is launching a quiet hour on Saturday mornings for individuals on the autistic spectrum. The lights will be dimmed and this means that the environment will be more appropriate for autistic consumers after 9am. Poster printing from Watford can be helpful for companies wishing to inform the public about new policies.
Experiments were conducted by the supermarket chain prior to the adoption of the quiet hour. It was found that a significant proportion of shoppers at the stores were conscious of people on the spectrum. The National Autistic Society (NAS) are very supportive of the move as ordinary activities like shopping are not straightforward for everyone. Daniel Cadey of the NAS told the Watford Observer:
“Around 700,000 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK. This means they see, hear and feel the world differently to other people, often in a more intense way.”
Morrisons’ Daniel Farrell is clear that the changes may make a genuine difference to some of the local people. The store management will refrain from using the normal communication system during the course of the quiet hour, while any radios will be silenced. The noises associated with the checkouts will also be turned down.