According to data from Autism Friendly, Only 1% of spaces in Spain are adapted for people with autism despite the fact that it is one of the most prevalent disorders, since it is estimated that around half a million people in our country are on the spectrum.
The lack of accessibility of these spaces hinders the inclusion of these people in society, their participation, their quality of life and, therefore, diminishes their rights. To alleviate this reality, the Autism Friendly initiative is responsible for adapt and certify accessible environments for people with autism, especially those that are more problematic, such as spaces intended for restaurants and leisure.
One of the most recently certified venues is Wizink Center in Madrid –which will be called Movistar Arena from 2025- designed for mass events, such as concerts or sports competitions, and has a capacity of up to 15,000 people. Since July 2024 it has become the first venue in Europe to adopt its program. “We are aware that, regardless of the adaptations we make, not all people with autism will be able to enjoy all the events held at the Wizink Center, because it is true that they are unfavorable environments for them, especially if they have a lot of noise sensitivity, but Our goal is that, by making small adaptations, many more can come.because it is a reality that many people with autism stop coming because the environments are very unfavorable,” he says. Alberto Gutiérrez, CEO of Autism Friendly Club.
Training, the key to accessibility
A favorable space It’s not just the one who makes physical adaptationshow to put pictograms or enable a room so that they can be calm, it is, above all, sensitivity, “in a survey carried out on these people and their families, in which we asked what their experience is in different leisure environments, the general response was that they had felt judged. In other words , which sometimes is no longer the physical space itself, the noise, the crowds… but also the feel observed in an unexpected situationlike a crisis, which is understood as a tantrum. And that sometimes generates self-censorship and they just stop going,” says Alberto Gutiérrez.
Many autistic people stop coming to these spaces because the environments are very unfavorable.
For this reason, when it comes to ‘adapting’ a space to be friendly to people with autism, the first and most important thing is train the people who work there. In the case of Wizink, there have been around 100 people, absolutely all the workers, from security personnel, to customer service, to ushers, waiters and even the press staff.
“This training and experience opens your mind a little, because it seems that in the end we all know an autistic person, but Until they really explain to you the needs they have, you are not truly aware. Therefore, training helps, not only to know how to act -because many times it is not acting in some special way, just accompanying-, but It makes you more aware and more sensitive to their needs. And in the end, since it is not something that is seen at first glance, it seems that it does not exist, but it does, and this training has helped us to recognize and understand it,” he says. Almudena Requena, Head of Ticketing.
In the same line, Juan Carlos Ruiz, security directortells how to make the facility more accessible for these people, also helped them get closer to their reality, “we think we know a lot of things, but until the experts in the field really explain it to you, you have no idea. And the knowledge It is a base to give peace of mind and security, both to the autistic person and to those who accompany them. The times we have performed here, They have thanked us, but both for acting and for empathizingwhich is the most important thing. “What we want is for Wizink to be an inclusive venue that everyone can enjoy.”
Rosa Carreras, mother of two children with autismdecided to venture out and take her two children to the Funzo & Baby Loud concert and, from the first moments she noticed that sensitivity, “I want to thank them and recognize the magnificent treatment received when accessing the concert. As a mother of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (TEA), I want to highlight the human and professional quality of the team that assisted us,” she says gratefully, “from the moment we arrived, the staff showed exceptional empathy and disposition.
Much more than ‘Picts’
To achieve that empathy, indeed, more than pictograms are neededwhich are also very important, “are closely associated with autism, they provide information, give them security and can help other groups, in addition to helping to raise awareness… Later, if they enter the premises and see that there are ‘picts’, although They don’t particularly need it, they understand that there is someone who thinks about them.
But around the ‘Picts’, who are the most visible, there has to be more things, even if they are less obvious: training and information. The first, because the workers will know how to act when there are people with autism at the event, and the second, because it helps them to be warned, which is why Wizink prefers that, Before purchasing tickets, people on the spectrum and/or their companions contact them“Not all people with autism who come will need this support, but if they need it, they know it is there. It gives them security and peace of mind, which is why we prefer that they tell us beforehand,” they insist.
Not all people with autism who come will need this support, but if they do, they know it is there.
For example, if before purchasing a ticket, you contact customer service and express your needs, they will be able to recommend the most appropriate location based on these needs. Also, as they do with other types of disabilitiessuch as people with reduced mobility, you can enter without waiting in lines For the PMR access, “you are notified at the entrance on the day of the event and you are given direct access through this entrance, which is 14, which is a door without architectural barriers,” explains Almudena Requena.
As soon as they called Rosa, it was the first thing they offered them, “adapted, agile and seamless accesswhich took into account the particular needs of my children, allowing us to enjoy the event without stress or discomfort. This gesture, which may seem simple to some, made a big difference for our family, ensuring that the experience was inclusive and enjoyable,” he says.
People with autism, as soon as they enter, find a QR that takes them to the Autism Friendly website and the Anticipation guide for autistic people created for Wizinkwhere you will find everything from what you are going to meet, to the premises’ rules, what to do if you have a crisis, etc. Even if it is available there, the idea is that you consult it first.
Precisely the issue of crises and deregulationswhich is what can cause them the most discomfort, is one that they have insisted on most since the training, “if someone detects that a person has this situation, notify security personnel or accommodation, and since we have all received training, we already know how to act. Once they notify us, security comes with a health worker, we accompany them to the quiet roomand we serve you there. In this room, or if it is very far away, in one that is closer, because we have rooms set up throughout the premises,” says the head of security.
Quiet rooms are rooms “of reduced sensory impact that They incorporate sensory kits with noise cancellers, anti-stress balls, slimesome little things so that the person at that moment can lower their stress level and can return to the space where they were or go outside if they need it,” explains Alberto Gutiérrez. The idea is, therefore, that the space is accessible to their needs. , but “do not make ghettos or enable specific areasbut that they can be here and based on their needs, be located in one place or another, go to the room if they require it, etc.”
From Wizink, which received an award from COCEMFE for its accessibility program, they are committed precisely to that, to inclusion, so that all people, whatever their needs, can enjoy their events“in addition to the Autism Friendly program, we have protocols established by the ONCE Foundation, we work with visually impaired people and now we are in a project that we are starting with deaf people, people with reduced mobility… We work on your needs and to react if there is an emergency. Furthermore, if they let us know, we can even accompany them to the subway or take a taxi, all so that everyone’s experience in the facility is a satisfactory experience, so that everyone can enjoy the experience,” insists Juan Carlos Ruiz.
Knowing that there is someone who has received training and asks ‘how can we help you’ gives them a lot of security
An inclusion that families like Rosa’s appreciate,”serve as an example of how cultural and entertainment spaces can adapt to ensure that everyone, without exception, can enjoy them. I hope they continue to promote these types of inclusive initiatives for families who, like ours, seek adapted and respectful cultural experiences.”
The important thing, as Alberto Gutiérrez likes to emphasize, is that they find an answer: “there are times when they have called other spaces to ask and didn’t get one. Know that there is someone on the other side who has received training that takes them into account and who asks how we can help you, gives a lot of security”, and has a significant impact on their self-esteem, quality of life and their inclusion in society.
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