From the 12 to the 15th of November 2019, the Autism Friendly Spaces (AFS) project kicked off to promote a more accessible society and participation in social activities of youngsters on the autism spectrum. 10 partners’ representatives from North Macedonia, Spain and Belgium gathered in Rabat (Malta) to discuss to share an understanding of the project’s purpose, as well as to ensure the project’s viability and success.
This project is designed to better cater for young people who are on the autism spectrum, in the countries of Malta, Belgium, North Macedonia, and Spain. This will be addressed in primarily three main ways:
1) Strengthening the competences of educators and youth workers in the knowledge, attitudes and better inclusion strategies for students/young people on the autism spectrum
2) Better accessibility to public and private spaces, through a Certification System enabling the application for ‘Autism Friendly Spaces’ and a nationwide awareness campaign
3) Supporting young autistic people socially through a pilot youth hub, created specifically for them
The project will bring together six partners and will last 34 months. Maltese project coordinator Prisms works in cooperation with the Maltese Commission of Rights for Persons with Disabilities, and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, the NGO Learning Designers from Spain, the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism from North Macedonia, and Autism-Europe from Belgium.