The National Autistic Society (NAS) has recognised East Midlands Railway (EMR) for providing an autism-friendly environment.

The NAS, which is a charity rather than an autistic people’s organisation, awards certification to service providers that meet set criteria:

• that employees understand how to effectively communicate with autistic people
• that spaces are made more accessible and less overwhelming for autistic people
• that information about venues is easily available to help autistic people plan their visit.

Autistic people tend to communicate differently from neurotypical people and can have unusually high (or low) sensitivity to sensory inputs such as noise, light and smell.

The NAS established the Autism Friendly Award is to encourage and help businesses to create more welcoming environments for autistic people throughout the UK.

Two years ago, EMR raised money for the National Autistic Society by auctioning Brio models of its trains.

Emma Davis, Head of Customer Experience at East Midlands Railway, said: “We are proud to receive the Autism Friendly Award from the National Autistic Society.

“We have always been committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all our customers, including those on the autism spectrum.

“This recognition reaffirms our dedication to providing an autism-friendly service and highlights the importance of understanding and accommodating the needs of autistic individuals and their families.”

Christine Flintoft-Smith, Head of Autism Accreditation at the National Autistic Society, said: “We’d like to congratulate East Midlands Railway on achieving our new Autism Friendly Award. Every organisation that gains the Autism Friendly Award will be helping to make the UK a more autism-friendly place and make a difference to the lives of autistic people and their families.

“There are lots of small changes which businesses can make to better support autistic people, and just a little understanding can go a long way. We’re looking forward to working with as many businesses as possible to help create a society that works for autistic people.”