Autism Support in Businesses

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (15:49): I would like to take this opportunity to speak about some initiatives by Drakes Supermarkets and the Australian Hotels Association to create more inclusive experiences for the autistic and autism community.

Drakes has partnered with Autism SA to deliver Quiet Time at its Hallett Cove and Golden Grove stores. Quiet Time occurs for three hours from 6pm to 9pm every Tuesday night and is a sensory friendly shopping experience for customers. While this may sound simple enough, to achieve this experience Drakes has had to invest in substantial changes to their stores. They have had to invest in new check-out machines that do not make beeping noises and they have also had to completely rewire their Hallett Cove and Golden Grove stores so that they are able to turn off half the lights at one time. They have also extended trading hours by one hour on Tuesday nights to ensure shoppers are able to take up this opportunity.

When we consulted with the autistic and autism communities on the development of a state autism strategy, access to spaces such as shopping centres was continuously raised as an issue. While other supermarkets offer Quiet Time, this is usually only for one hour during the middle of the day when most people are at work. This trial is the result of Drakes listening to the calls of the autistic and autism communities about providing inclusive shopping experiences at the times that working people and parents can attend.

I was pleased to attend the first night of Quiet Time at the Golden Grove store with the member for King in the other place, Rhiannon Pearce. The response was fantastic. Customers visiting the store, and even John-Paul Drake, were quite emotional by the experience of how quiet it was within the store. It was such a peaceful shopping experience that was appreciated by many, not just the autistic community.

The next week I was able to visit the Hallett Cove store where I ran into 13-year-old Nash, or as I like to say, Premier Nash. Nash and his mum, Paula, were so excited to have a store near where they live to offer this special experience. Nash has now been inspired to work with a local shopping centre to make further changes for a more inclusive shopping experience.

Drakes has not only had to make physical changes in their stores to make all this possible, but they have also trained all of their staff at these stores in autism-friendly practices. We know that retail jobs are often the first job that people will have, considering the age of the workforce, so we are now giving this knowledge to employees to take not only with them throughout their work life but also into the broader community, including their schools and homes.

The South Australian branch of the Australian Hotels Association has also been listening to the feedback from the autistic and autism community and, together with Autism SA, is employing an autism liaison officer. This liaison officer will work with pubs and clubs to work out what they can do to make going to the pub a more enjoyable experience for people who are autistic. This might include dimming lights, putting in carpeted areas, turning off screens or having sensory tools available.

Many people are missing out on having that social experience with their family and friends because the pub or the club might not be the right environment and become overwhelming. This initiative means that the autistic and autism community can have the night out that so many of us take for granted.

It is wonderful to see private industries like Drakes and the AHA following the lead of the Malinauskas Labor government in our commitment to supporting South Australia's autistic and autism communities. I really want to commend Roger and John-Paul Drake from Drakes Supermarkets, and Anna from the AHA, for these initiatives. What they are doing is creating knowledge, not just in their own businesses but in the community about what it is to be autistic and how we can make changes so that we can all be more inclusive. These seemingly simple measures will have a big impact on the autistic and autism communities.