As part of Autism Acceptance Month, not-for-profit support provider Dimensions has given The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden an Autism-Friendly Award, recognising the animal charity’s commitment to providing excellent support to its autistic visitors and employees.
The announcement comes after over 30 team members at the site in Kent participated in a rigorous training session designed to equip them with the expertise to provide the best support for autistic visitors and employees.
Dimensions has been providing this training to companies for over 15 years. It includes advice on communicating with autistic people, understanding reasonable adjustments that can be made to environments to reduce stress, and practical guidance on how to best utilise their existing and new expertise.
Sarah Walters, Campaigns Manager at Dimensions, said: “Making society a more inclusive and welcoming place for everyone is fundamentally important. We all have a responsibility to do this, including organisations such as The Big Cat Sanctuary, who we’re delighted to give their Autism-Friendly award. We know the invaluable impact that such training can have on autistic people, their families and the wider community, and we hope that The Big Cat Sanctuary inspires other institutions and businesses to make their environments and services more inclusive too.”
It comes as the National Autistic Society launches a new campaign to mark World Autism Acceptance Month, highlighting how the general public can make autistic people feel more accepted.
The new campaign, It’s How You Show Up, aims to improve public understanding of autism and change attitudes and behaviour towards autistic people.
Adam Terrington, Commercial & Operational Manager at Big Cat Sanctuary, said: “We’re so proud to receive this award. Creating a welcoming, calm space for all our visitors is really important to us. Our team is now even better prepared to make sure every visitor feels comfortable and can fully enjoy their time at The Big Cat Sanctuary.”
Using their new skills, The Big Cat Sanctuary will be hosting its first Sensory Inclusive Open Day in the summer, offering a more tailored experience for guests with additional needs. This includes reduced noise levels, as well as talks and activities to ensure all visitors can enjoy the day in a more comfortable setting. BSL interpreters will also be on hand to make the event more accessible to deaf guests.
