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Morrisons 'quiet hour' for autistic shopping introduced | Morrisons 'quiet hour' for autistic shopping introduced |
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Supermarket chain Morrisons has introduced a weekly "quieter hour" for autistic shoppers who struggle with music and noise. | Supermarket chain Morrisons has introduced a weekly "quieter hour" for autistic shoppers who struggle with music and noise. |
Its UK stores will dim lights, turn music off, avoid using the tannoy and turn check-out beeps down on Saturdays from 09:00 to 10:00. | Its UK stores will dim lights, turn music off, avoid using the tannoy and turn check-out beeps down on Saturdays from 09:00 to 10:00. |
The movement of trolleys and baskets will also be reduced, it says. | The movement of trolleys and baskets will also be reduced, it says. |
The National Autistic Society says it is a "step in the right direction" for those who find shopping a struggle. | The National Autistic Society says it is a "step in the right direction" for those who find shopping a struggle. |
The charity is encouraging retailers to take part in a nationwide "autism hour" in October. | |
Toy shop The Entertainer holds "quiet hours" during the first hour of opening every Saturday, when staff turn off in-store music in the company's 145 UK stores to "create a more welcoming environment for children with autism". | |
Other shops, including an Asda supermarket in Manchester and a Tesco Extra in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, also hold "quiet hours". | |
Tesco said it was not planning on rolling out the initiative nationwide, but store managers were welcome to introduce it if they felt it appropriate. | |
The Morrisons scheme was introduced following a trial earlier this year in its Lincoln, Woking and Gainsborough stores. Angela Gray, Morrisons community champion at Woking, who has an autistic child herself said she'd found the changes made a "real difference". | |
The National Autistic Society says there are 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK, who "see, hear and feel the world differently to other people, often in a more intense way". | |
There are almost 500 Morrisons stores in the UK. | There are almost 500 Morrisons stores in the UK. |
What is autism? | What is autism? |
Source: The National Autistic Society | Source: The National Autistic Society |
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