The Autism Friendly Spaces (AFS) project aimed at promoting a more accessible society and participation in social activities of youngsters on the autism spectrum. The project started in October 2019 and run until May 2022, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
The main objectives of this project were to create a positive change in community by:
1) Strengthening of competences of educators and youth workers in the knowledge, attitudes and better inclusion strategies for autistic students/young people;
2) Better accessibility to public and private spaces, through a Certification System enabling the application for ‘Autism Friendly Spaces’ and a nationwide awareness-raising campaign;
3) Socially supporting autistic young people through a pilot youth hub, created specifically for them.
The project coordinator, the NGO Prisms from Malta, worked closely with all the other partners, including: the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability – CRPD and the Agency Żgħażagħ from Malta, the NGO Learning Designers from Spain, the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism from North Macedonia, and Autism-Europe from Belgium.
Results
- Creation, design, and implementation of four free of charge, interactive, easily accessible online modules, which proved to be highly informative for educators and youth workers to learn and strengthen their work competencies in an inclusive environment;
- Creation of a Certification System that enabled private sectors and public entities to make their places ‘Autism Friendly’. The places awarded with the ‘Autism Friendly Spaces’ prize were listed on a website and an app created for this project;
- Piloting of a youth hubs for autistic young people.
About the Erasmus+ Programme
Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. Its budget of €14.7 billion will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain experience, and volunteer abroad.