If you’re on the autism spectrum, shopping can be a confronting experience.
The lights are too bright, the music is too loud, and there’s a lot of people crashing trolleys together.
Not to mention the constant announcements over the PA system and the never-ending repetitive sound of the scanners beeping.
That’s why Coles, in conjunction with Aspect, have launched a Quiet Hour initiative to help shoppers with autism.
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Today Quiet Hour will be rolled out to 68 Coles supermarkets across the country after a very successful pilot program in Victoria.
For one hour every Tuesday, between 10:30am and 11:30am, the participating Coles supermarkets will dim the lights, switch music off, suspend trolley collections and tone down register sounds so customers on the autism spectrum can shop “in peace”.
Announcements over the store PA system will also be suspended for the hour, except in cases of emergency.
Staff have been given extra training to ensure the low sensory Quiet Hour runs smoothly.
Emily Dive’s son, Locky, is on the Autism spectrum and Quiet Hour has changed the way they shop.