Every year, AccessibAll is proud to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April. This is a day to highlight and platform the voices of autistic people around the world, as well as the ways we can support them in everyday life.

This year’s theme is “Autism and Humanity – Every Life Has Value.” This theme aims to highlight the fact that all autistic people are worthy of protection, respect, dignity and encouragement to live as independent and fulfilling lives as possible. This can be done by removing in-built barriers created by society, which can limit them.

Autism (also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition, meaning that it is something that people are born with and is lifelong. It affects how they receive and process information, how they navigate the world, and how they communicate – among other things.

Autism is a large spectrum, meaning that no two people have the same experience. For some autistic people, they are able to hold down jobs, live independently and communicate fully with some general ways of navigating or explaining things in the correct manner. For others, they may be non-verbal, or require more support that means they can’t be fully independent. Therefore, it is important to understand how autism can affect everyone differently.

In Europe, Autism has been found to affect 1 in 100 people according to Autism Europe. This represents a swift increase, which has been found to correlate with wider awareness of the condition and changes in the criteria for diagnosis. It also means that we should be able to move towards more normalisation of easy ways we can support autistic people.

As mentioned, Autism is a spectrum and support should be tailored to each person as they need. However, there are some general things to keep in mind when designing an event, workplace, or anything that would involve autistic people:

• Explaining things effectively – ensuring that things are clarified and clear, and providing the opportunity for the person to ask any clarifying questions
• Effective directions – this includes signage and/or having someone on hand to explain or answer questions
• Providing advance information – structure and routine is extremely important to many autistic people, so providing information beforehand can be very helpful
• Respecting sensory needs – this can include personal space, or things that autistic people may find comforting
• Encourage interests – many autistic people have special interests or things they are particularly enthusiastic about, so encouraging and engaging them on these topics can allow them to feel welcomed and included to share

These recommendations can be effective for a range of things, from job applications to general information to attending football matches, as AccessibAll has found.

One of the key areas that AccessibAll has highlighted has been advance access information, and sensory rooms.

The former ensures that autistic people can prepare themselves and their particular route or navigation of the matchday, as many can find it difficult to deal with things being unprepared or spontaneous. In addition, in the case of any changes to a regular matchday or to what they are already familiar with, it can give ample time to process and work around so that the individual and their companions are comfortable going into the matchday experience, before they have even set foot in the stadium. This goes for both home and away matches.

Sensory rooms can also be incredibly helpful. The matchday experience can be extremely overwhelming, from the amount of people around to the numerous loud noises happening simultaneously. It can make it difficult for some autistic people to feel safe, or to focus on the game itself. Therefore, sensory rooms have been created to allow them to have a quiet space to watch the match, with a range of items that can help regulate their emotions.

Examples of things found in sensory rooms can include soothing music, dim or coloured lights, interactive items and soft material blankets or seats. It is important that the senses are soothed, so things such as lights or materials are not harsh on the eyes or skin.

AccessibAll have also had the opportunity to highlight some great work done in installing and promoting sensory viewing rooms in clubs, including:

• Porto FC
• Celtic FC
• DSC Arminia Bielefeld

These sensory rooms and projects have proven extremely popular with fans, with waiting lists due to high demand. This illustrates the work it can do with bringing more fans into the stadiums and bringing them the pleasure of attending a match on their own terms.

Autism is a condition that affects a large number of people in different ways, with small actions from others having a large impact in making them feel accepted and embraced not only during the matchday experience, but in everyday life. With clear communication, we can ensure that everyone can feel safe and prepared to enjoy their day.

For more information on sensory rooms in particular, AccessibAll have also published a Guidance Note which includes more recommendations on installing one. This Guidance Note can be accessed here. 

Wishing all of our friends, partners and like-minded advocates a very happy World Autism Awareness Day 2026!

Published 2/4/2026