Community Rail Lancashire has been granted the Autism Friendly Award by the National Autistic Society, the UK’s leading charity for autistic people. The award was given in recognition of our autism-friendly approach, including the Autism Friendly Line that runs between Blackburn – Manchester Victoria via Todmorden.
The Autism Friendly Award is a leading accreditation programme set up by the National Autistic Society to help organisations play their part to create more welcoming environments and make a difference to the lives of autistic people throughout the UK.
There are approximately 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, as well as their three million family members and carers. Autism is a spectrum condition. This means autistic people have their own strengths and varying and complex needs, from 24-hour care to simply needing clearer communication and a little longer to do things. Without the right support or understanding, autistic people can become extremely isolated.
To gain the Autism Friendly Award, we have had to meet set standards that demonstrate that we offer an autism-friendly environment and practice. Over 300 organisations are now accredited.
Katie Douglas, Accessibility and Inclusion Officer, Community Rail Lancashire said “Being recognised for the work we have done over the years has been a great achievement. However, through this process, we have realised that we can do even more to make what we do autism-friendly. It’s exciting to be part of an organisation that continues to improve”
“The Autism Friendly Award highlights good autism practice and we are very pleased to be here to mark Community Rail Lancashire’s achievement. It is a great thing in itself and, we believe, will inspire other organisations to improve the way they support autistic people.”
Find out more about Autism Accreditation on the National Autistic Society website: www.autism.org.uk/accreditation
