Quiet Hour is introduced at inner west supermarkets
Reducing sound, light and stimulation at Woolworths supermarkets in the inner west for an hour a week aims to give those with autism a brief respite.
Inner West
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The bright lights at three Woolworths supermarkets in the inner west will be turned down for people with autism during ‘Quiet Hour’
Every Tuesday from 10.30am to 11.30am, there will be a quieter and less stimulating environment for those who visit the Ashfield, Burwood and Marrickville Woolworths stores.
The program is rolling out nationally, developed with disability service provider Life Without Barriers.
The aim is to reduce sensory stress and anxiety for customers sensitive to light and sound, such as those with autism.
Lights, music and radio will be turned down during this period, and oven buzzers switched off.
The volume of store phones and registers on the floor will also be turned down, storage cages will be taken off the shop floor and there will be no PA announcements.
Life without Barriers executive lead of disability engagement Chris Chippendale has worked in disability for 25 years and said reducing light and sound was a simple thing that could make people with a disability feel a lot more confident.
“Woollies can be a scary place that overloads you with sites and sounds. (Quiet Hour) gives people confidence and independence,” he said.
Mr Chippendale said for people with autism it’s like tripling or quadrupling the way people without a disability experience lights and sounds.
“People with sensory issues often avoid overstimulation. With the lights down and sounds down, you feel so comfortable and at ease,” he said.
“The fact that Woollies does that might make it easier to then wander around a shopping centre and feel more confident.”
Quiet Hour has been rolled out to 260 stores nationally, 87 of which are in NSW and the ACT, after a trial in a North Kellyville store was successful.
“Some families involved in the Woollies trial noticed and said what a great idea. They say we like it too,” Mr Chippendale said.
Woolworths Marrickville Store Manager, Graham Chapman said: “Before we implemented the Quiet Hour initiative it was very important to us that we fully understood the specific needs of our customers, including those with autism.”
“(The store team) are all incredibly supportive of the initiative … we will be taking great pride in creating a low-sensory experience for our customers and we’re looking forward to hearing their feedback.”
It is estimated that one in 70 Australians are on the autism spectrum.
