Newcastle Trampoling Park, like many other places, has announced it will have two "Autism hours" a week "where we will turm the music down."
I'm beginning to wonder about "autism hours". If my child, or indeed I, were in a
wheelchair and organisations said "We will be putting ramps in for an
hour a week so you can use our facilities then, but the rest of the time
you'll just have to put up with trying to get up steps and stairs
because everybody else is ok with them"; then there would quite rightly
be an outcry.
Trampolining is fun.
Why does there need
to be music as well?
It makes life difficult for those who are hard of
hearing.
It also makes conversation and communication difficult for
everyone else as they have to raise their voices to be heard.
Why not
turn it off entirely?
Why have it on at all?
Did someone ask for it?
Is there any market research which suggests nobody would use the
facility if there were no music? If there is any I bet it's from the
PRS which makes money from music licensing; which organisations must pay
if they wish to play recorded music in a public space.
Unlike
cinemas or theatres, where music is integral to the experience, there
is no necessity for music in sports centres, shops and restaurants. The
organisation Pipedown has research that it is not only annoying, it can
also be detrimental to health and safety.
"Autism
hours" may be well intentioned but, to me, they are beginning to look
like band waggon jumping or tokenism and, far from being inclusive, are patronising. Why shouldn't a family with autism be able to go trampolining or shopping any time they like - just like everyone else.
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