Westport Autism Friendly Town officially launched

‘A journey towards a more inclusive and welcoming’ Westport has begun with the official launch of Westport Autism Friendly Town. 

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.

^{Keira Keogh TD, Maria Walsh MEP, Rose Conway-Walsh TD and Alan Dillon TD among the crowd at the launch of Westport Autism Friendly Town at Westport Town Hall} 

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. 

Maura Kiely, Chairperson of Westport Autism Friendly Town, said that autistic people often find it ‘hard to feel included in every day life’ due to their unique needs. 

“The anxiety of wondering if we will feel welcomed or understood or even tolerated is a reality that we deal with every day, that’s why tonight is so significant,” said Maura, whose five-year-old son, Darragh, is autistic. 

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Westport’s commitment to becoming an Autism Friendly Town is a step towards a brighter future, not just for Darragh, but for every person in Westport, regardless of their ability or their age. Tonight marks the beginning of a new chapter for our town, a chapter where we ensure that no one is left behind.”

The event was also addressed by Lauren Burns, a member of Westport Autism Friendly Town’s committee. 

Prior to her autism diagnosis, the Westport woman encountered difficulties in both primary and secondary school. In her second week of secondary school, she began to faint and began to have seizure-like activity. This resulted in her being diagnosed with non-epileptic attack disorder.

“My brain’s way of processing internal and external stress was overwhelmed. Being a non-diagnosed autistic individual did not help with these attacks.”

Ms Burns said she felt ‘relieved and understood’ after being diagnosed with autism following a private assessment.

“I could finally understand myself and how my brain works. I finally stopped putting so much pressure on myself to be like others,” she said.

Adam Harris, founder of AsIAM, praised Westport Autism Friendly Town for having a draft town plan completed in time for their official launch.

Westport Autism Friendly Town recently received the New Community Recognition Award at the AsIAm Autism Friendly Towns Awards, a point noted by Mr Harris.

“When we talk about inclusion, we talk about mainstreaming, and we think it’s somebody else’s job, but if we want everybody to be included in every single aspect of Westport life, every single person will do something,” Mr Harris added. 

To find out more about Westport, Autism Friendly Town, visit www.waft.ie or visit Westport Autism Friendly Town’s Facebook or Instagram pages.