ZCZC
BFF-18
NZEALAND-HEALTH-RETAIL
Kiwi retailer launches ‘quiet hour’ for autistic shoppers
WELLINGTON, Oct 31, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – New Zealand’s largest supermarket
chain has introduced a “quiet hour” to help make shopping less overwhelming
for people with autism and other sensory processing disorders.
Every Wednesday afternoon, Countdown supermarkets dim the lights, silence
background music, restrict PA announcements to emergencies only and
temporarily halt shelf stocking.
Even the ding of checkout tills is dialled down to a minimum, and strip
lighting in freezer aisles is switched off to stop the low-level neon hum,
Countdown manager Kirsten Dinnan said.
“It creates an environment a bit like a library,” she told AFP. “We find
that people tend to self-regulate and shush themselves.”
The idea for quiet hour emerged last year when Dinnan was looking for ways
to help the community in the rural North Island town of Marton, where she was
managing the local supermarket at the time.
A member of her staff, Theo Hogg, suggested the change after experiencing
difficulty shopping with his severely autistic son Hunter.
“A lot of us take ducking in and out of the supermarket for granted, but
for those with sensory processing disorders it can be overwhelming because
there are so many triggers,” she said.
“It can cause a meltdown of epic proportions. Ten or 15 years ago, we’d
have said that’s a naughty child, but there’s more understanding now and we
want to create a judgement-free zone.”
Dinnan said the response to a trial in several stores had been
“overwhelmingly positive”, resulting in the initiative being introduced
nationwide this month in Countdown’s 180 supermarkets.
“It highlights how some small changes can create a more inclusive
environment that will impact people significantly,” Autism New Zealand chief
executive Dane Dougan said.
Supermarkets in Australia and Britain have introduced similar measures,
although it is unclear where the concept originated.
Dinnan said the trial had not only benefitted the autistic community but
other shoppers such as families with young children, the elderly and people
who were recovering from strokes or head injuries.
“It’s great if we can reduce the stress in people’s lives and make an
everyday experience a bit easier for them,” she said.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0919 hrs