Quite frankly the topic of today’s “Edibles & Potables” column is one I’ve never considered, and naturally the first step toward understanding is to be aware of the issue at hand. For an explanation of why sensory-friendly grocery stores are needed, read Kirsty Kendall’s contribution at Medium.
The Horror of Grocery Shopping as an Autistic Person
When you make a Google search for “grocery shopping as an autistic person”, most of the results are about how to go grocery shopping with your autistic child.
But autistic adults suffer from sensory stimuli as much as autistic children, and we also need to buy food. Also, we usually have to do it ourselves; we can’t rely on our parents to shop for us anymore.
Some supermarkets in the USA and Canada have instituted “quiet hours” for autistic shoppers and those with sensory sensitivity, during which lights are dimmed and music turned off. The idea is to improve the experience of grocery shopping, perhaps not to the ever precarious state of perfection, but at least better.
This article in The Bulletin (a news service in English about Belgium) first attracted my attention to the concept of “quiet hours.”
Supermarkets plan ‘quiet hours’ for autistic and sensory-sensitive shoppers
Such “quiet hours” or “low stimulation times” are becoming increasingly common in a variety of sectors, including theme parks and fairgrounds.
Now Delhaize and Carrefour are introducing the measure. Since 29 November, Carrefour is offering customers two hours of silence every day between 14.00 and 16.00, with lights dimmed, the soundtrack switched off and announcements muted.
“The aim is to create a calm atmosphere,” the grocery chain said in a press release.
“As many as 100,000 people in Belgium are highly sensitive to crowds and noise. The aim is to enable these people and people with autism spectrum disorder to do their shopping in peace and quiet.”
Photo credit: Carrefour, I believe. It was difficult to find a cover illustration to match the topic, so I went with my favorite Belgian food, mussels and frites.
