National Gallery is a leader in autism inclusion

Helen O’Callaghan looks at the autism-friendly National Gallery

The National Gallery of Ireland has become the country’s first national cultural institution to receive autism-friendly accreditation.

National autism charity and advocacy organisation AsIAm has recognised the gallery as a leader in autism inclusion and accessibility.

Caomhán Mac Con Iomaire, education administrator at the gallery, who has a brief in access and facilitation said: “We want to have seamless access, so everybody can enjoy the national collection without any barriers.”

He said in recent years the gallery has looked especially at disabilities that are not always apparent, like dementia, sensory-processing disorder, and autism.

Initiatives at the gallery include free sensory-friendly workshops for children. The workshops take place during mid-term and holidays, they began last May and so far 18 have been held.

“They take place in quiet spaces within the gallery. We close rooms to the public for an hour to avoid distraction and noise. This is because our regular events can be unpredictable in nature and not suitable for children who are hyper-sensitive to crowds or who don’t like queuing,” said Mr Mac Con Iomaire, adding that autism -affected families are very welcome at regular family events too.

Working with AsIAm, comprehensive autism-awareness training has been undertaken by gallery staff, with emphasis on acceptance as well as awareness.

“We feel affronted when others aren’t kind or we feel disrespected, “ said Mr Mac ConIomaire.

The behaviour of a person who has difficulty with social communication or with their sensory environment is going to be different, so it’s important awareness training is rolled out for all staff and that it’s ongoing to cater for staff turnover. Awareness leads to acceptance — and the gallery wants to accept people, not just be aware.

The gallery also has a social guide (download at nationalgallery.ie), which explains what to expect on a visit. It gives practical info about what the gallery’s like, where the entrances are and which one is quieter. It has photos of staff, explaining they are there to help, as well as of the various gallery rooms.

With ear defenders and earplugs available, the gallery is also recruiting ‘autism champions’ from among its current staff — individuals who will sensitively assist families with children with autism if required.

Book sensory-friendly workshops in the ‘what’s on’ section on nationalgallery.ie