The Autism Friendly University Design Guide

PART THREE - GUIDELINES

value of the autistic perspective- one that resonates with all users. This space is an experimental environment, that poses the hypothesis that a space built from the autistic perspective can be inclusive of all needs.A sensory mitigated space has the potential to not only provide much needed respite, control and organisation of the sensory experience for the autistic user, but it can provide an alternative to the general community to the overwhelming, multifunctional, sensory overloaded spaces of the neurotypical world. I envision this space clearly branded as an Autism Friendly Space, with agency and ownership granted clearly to the autistic community, but one that all students want to be in and enjoy, that allows them to better understand, appreciate and value the autistic perspective and its sensory needs, and carry that understanding over into their daily lives both on campus and off. Accessible built environments can have tremendous impact on reducing stigma. By making social spaces more autism friendly and making autistic spaces more social, a network of seamless universal spaces where are students are all welcome, included, safe and have their needs met can be created, greatly reducing the isolation, separation and segregation that currently creates and propagates stigma around autism.

80 Magda Mostafa, PhD Autism Design Consultant Progressive Architects

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A sensory mitigated space has the potential to not only provide much needed respite, control and organisation of the sensory experience for the autistic user, but it can provide an alternative to the general community to the overwhelming.”

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The Autism Friendly University Design Guide

Published on May 9, 2021

magda mostafa

Initiated by Dublin City University's Autism Friendly University initiative, this guide is founded on a basic foundational understanding that all students in higher education campuses have the equal right to a built environment that not only does not create barriers to their physical access to an education, but provides, whenever and wherever possible, built environment supports that facilitate their access to the learning experience. Many of the guidelines included here can be scaled up and across multiple contexts and typologies, including but not limited to- K-12 learning environments, workplace environments, urban contexts, public spaces, commercial spaces and residential neighbourhoods. Preliminary research and community anecdote also supports that these design strategies benefit not only autism and neurodiversity, but other user groups with diverse needs.