Feb 25, 2025, C103: Blarney recognised for its bid to become autism friendly town
Blarney has been officially recognised at the AsIAm Autism Friendly Towns Awards 2025, held at the Mansion House, Dublin on Saturday. The awards celebrate communities across Ireland that have demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering autism inclusion, understanding, and acceptance.
This year’s awards mark a significant milestone in Ireland’s journey toward greater inclusivity, with Blarney, who won in the New Community and Community Engagement categories , joining a growing number of locations that have taken practical steps to make their spaces, businesses, and services more accessible for autistic individuals and their families.
The event was attended by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain, and AsIAm CEO & Founder, Adam Harris, who praised the achievements of the participating communities.
Adam Harris, CEO & Founder of AsIAm, said: "An autism-friendly community is one that sees, understands, and values autistic people. We are proud to recognise Blarney for its commitment to fostering a more inclusive environment and for the steps it has taken to ensure that autistic individuals and their families can participate fully in everyday life. These efforts set an example for other towns and cities across Ireland, and we look forward to continuing this
Autism Friendly Blarney said: "We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition for Blarney Over the past year, our community has worked together to create an environment that is welcoming, inclusive . . .
The AsIAm Autism Friendly Towns Programme provides a structured framework for communities to promote autism inclusion.
To earn and retain Autism Friendly status, towns and cities must demonstrate progress over a three-year cycle, which includes:
Establishing a voluntary Autism Friendly Town Committee
Implementing a three-year action plan
Engaging local employers to support autistic individuals through work experience or employment
Training Autism Friendly Champions across key sectors
Ensuring businesses and organisations are assistance dog-friendly to enhance accessibility
Started in 2018, the AsIAm Autism Friendly Towns Awards is an annual initiative recognising communities that commit to a framework of autism inclusion, understanding, and acceptance.
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