Dublin Aims to Be Autism-Friendly Capital
Dublin City Council has partnered with the charity AsIAm in an initiative to make Dublin the world's first Autism-Friendly Capital City. The plan involves awareness campaigns, creating more accessible public spaces, and improving support services for autistic individuals.
- The initiative is part of a formal three-year action plan for 2026-2028, developed in partnership with the charity AsIAm and approved by Dublin City Council. - The plan was created following a series of public consultations with autistic people and their families at the Mansion House, as well as data from AsIAm's annual Same Chance Report. - A key part of the strategy involves recruiting "Autism-Friendly Champions," which are businesses, public services, and voluntary organizations that commit to staff training and making small sensory or communication adaptations. To achieve official status, Dublin must recruit 60 of these champions. - The plan is modeled on AsIAm's "Autism Friendly Towns" framework, which was first successfully implemented in Clonakilty, Co. Cork, in 2018. - A steering group, chaired by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, will oversee the project and includes elected officials, autistic advocates, and academics. - One of the concrete actions is the development of a city-wide sensory map that will highlight the locations of trained and accredited organizations. - The plan's six main goals focus on improving community, public understanding, infrastructure, inclusivity for visitors and students, celebrating autistic strengths, and promoting inclusive employment. - To coordinate the three-year plan, Dublin City Council has facilitated the creation of a new role, the Autism-Friendly City Officer, which will be filled by AsIAm.
