Bev Harp also contributed to this article.
When most people think of autism, they probably think of the social components, but that’s just one part of what autism is like.
I think one of the underrepresented aspects is the sensory experience – the way that sounds, tastes, visuals and feelings that wouldn’t bother someone who isn’t autistic can be overwhelming, sometimes to the point of physical pain for autistic people.
And in my experience, this part of autism is often treated with skepticism and dismissal. It’s simply not taken as seriously as it should be, and rarely is it ever accommodated as well as it could be. This was the case for me, as far back as high school, when the cafeteria was so loud and overwhelming that I’d often want to eat in the library. I was never shy about how overwhelmed it made me feel, but I was rarely if ever offered other options. Often, the only choice was just to endure the noise.
This didn’t significantly change when I grew up. Throughout college and even into my career, I had more freedom, but was still often at the mercy of the space I was in. Often, I found myself working under the exact kind of painful lighting conditions I had throughout my time at high school. In the working world, I could usually bring in a network of desk lamps that I had a much easier time with if I had my own office space. When I didn’t though, I’d not only wind up in situations where I had no choice but to bake under fluorescent lights all day then come home exhausted and with a massive headache, but I’d also be treated with derision if I said anything.
Can you guess the effect that this had on my ability to work?
I think a lot of times, people have a very narrow view of what workplace or school accommodation looks like when they don’t interact with it much. Ramps for wheelchairs, braille on signs, etc. Physical alterations to the workplace that allow for more accessibility. That’s a very important part of it, yes, but the discussion shouldn’t stop there. If I’m going to spend eight hours of my day in a space, it should be a space that isn’t physically taxing to be in. And make no mistake – my autism is directly related to why that space feels so taxing in the first place. It is a disability issue. I think autistic people like me deserve to not have to go home every day tired and in pain from the very built space around us, and I think we deserve to be believed when we say that’s what’s happening.
Our environments are such a core part of our experiences, and when people with noise sensitivities are forced to go to pep rallies where the goal is to be as loud as possible or people with light sensitivities are forced to simply cope with the splitting headache we get from spending all day under hostile lighting, it is a form of societal ableism. And I believe many of the fixes for these problems would be relatively simple. Let a kid stay in the library if they don’t want to go to that pep rally. Put filters over the lights. Let us carry a pair of headphones around. These things could be achieved with ease, at little to no cost.
In fact, I think that’s a good rule when considering accessibility in general. Sometimes, there is no choice but to substantially modify a space, but I think it’s often simpler than people expect. A little bit of effort goes a long way, and when that effort has been made, it’s made an extraordinary difference for me. I bet it will for your friends, coworkers, and maybe even you too. You can learn more about, especially as a business owner, you can work with HDI’s Innovative Support for Autistic Workers (ISAW) program. ISAW works with employers to help them hire, supervise and retain autistic employees. To that end, they host live trainings that can be fully customized and also run the Autism Informed Employers program, which has more than three hours of tips and trainings. To learn more, you can visit ISAW’s website here: https://isaw.hdiuk.org
