Funky Monkeys - Autism Accessibility Guide

The following guide has been written to provide some pre-visit information for customers who are on the Autistic Spectrum of what to expect when you visit one of our centres. We recognise the need to provide better information and are committed to helping make our business more accessible and enjoyable for those with sensory and communication needs.

INTRODUCTION

We are conscious there are a number of things that we ask customers to do that may appear daunting to an autistic person. As part of our commitment to try and make this visit more enjoyable, we have taken the approach of trying to help provide a better awareness of what to expect from our premises and activities.

We have worked with Autism NI to achieve their Impact Award for businesses. As part of achieving this award, a number of our team have received Autism training and we have a number of nominated champions for ongoing training and support. We have also worked with other regional Autism Organisations for training and information purposes.

WHAT INFORMATION HAVE WE PROVIDED

Below you will find:

A link for a pre visit guide of our premises and an explanation of what happens in different areas. This includes images of all areas of the building so you can familiarise yourself with our activities and processes before you arrive.
A list of our most common Health and Safety stipulations. These are areas relating to the activities and experience that we cannot change due to safety and compliance reasons.
A list of reasonable adjustments that may support the specific needs of different customers.

Centre Guides

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND FAQ’S

As we have a number of different types of activities, there are varied rules in place for the overall Health & Safety of every customer on some of our activities.

Unfortunately, there are a number of Health and Safety policies and procedures which are enforced on us as a business for reasons such as:

Governing Bodies e.g. ROSPA, BSI & HSE

Manufacturers guidance and warranties

Insurance stipulations and liabilities

Due to this we cannot waiver any of the most common issues below that relate to specific experiences/activities, and it is important that the policies are followed to ensure the safety of your child and the safety of others.

SOFT PLAY

Socks must be worn at all times by all customers entering the soft play area.
Shoes cannot be worn when entering the soft play area.
Lighting must be kept to a minimum lumens level to ensure all customers have an acceptable level of visibility.
Customers with sight or hearing disabilities must be accompanied by a person over the age of sixteen.
Height & age restrictions are in place and cannot be overlooked regardless of circumstances.
Supervision is strictly over 16 years old and cannot be overlooked regardless of circumstances.

Please remember the above is for the Health and Safety of every user.

REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS

We have considered the elements of our activities that may cause the most challenge for our customers with different needs and tried to mitigate some of the areas that may cause difficulty. We have listed some reasonable adjustments below and also made some suggestions of how potential adjustments could be made pre-visit:

What to expect – We have provided a video of our premises. We would advise that you view this with your child in your home setting before visiting if you are at all apprehensive or unsure of what to expect.
Waiting time – We are happy to provide express check in to our activities, providing we have advance notice of your booking and capacity within the activity.
Wearing socks without shoes in soft play – We recommend that you use our video of our soft play area pre-visit to visually show your child that socks have to be worn. It could also be helpful to relate a specific pair of socks to this activity and/or practise this at home in preparation for your visit.
Supervision – Where supervision of an autistic child is required, we do not charge for this. This does need to be an adult over the age of sixteen. We would also ask that this adult does not partake in activities and supervises at all times.
Lighting and sound – We are happy to adjust certain lighting and music levels within reason during off peak sessions if you feel it would help – please speak to a member of staff if you feel this would be helpful.
Off Peak Sessions – We are aware that many of our peak sessions can be extremely busy and over stimulating for some autistic people. If you would prefer to attend at a quieter time, our staff will be happy to advise you of more off peak times that may be more comfortable.