Inclusive Communication Award: Stichting Uit met Autisme

WINNER: Stichting Uit met Autisme

About Stichting Uit met Autisme (Out with Autism Foundation)

The Uit met Autisme Foundation supports people with autism and sensory sensitivities to confidently engage in leisure activities by providing insights into sensory environments and facilities available ahead. Originally established in the Netherlands, it is expanding across Europe, with contributions from countries including Germany and Belgium. 

Issue

For many autistic people, leisure is not relaxing but stressful due to uncertainty, sensory overload and a lack of reliable information about what to expect. This can result in avoidance and exclusion long before a visit takes place.  

What they did

Uit met Autisme developed a lived-experience-based platform that helps autistic people plan and navigate leisure activities by making environments more predictable. 

Rather than relying on generic accessibility labels or one-off guidance, the platform uses a structured assessment methodology to generate consistent, practical insights that can be applied at scale and across different countries and contexts. 

At its core is a trained panel of autistic reviewers who assess leisure locations and activities based on sensory factors such as noise, crowds, lighting, transitions, waiting times and recovery options. These insights are translated into clear, decision-ready information that supports preparation, autonomy and informed choice. 

The platform combines three elements that are rarely integrated in practice. First, autistic lived experience is embedded structurally through a consistent assessment methodology. Second, assessments are aggregated into a growing, comparable database, enabling benchmarking, shared learning and continuous improvement. Third, findings are translated into accessible formats that directly support real-world decision-making, rather than abstract compliance. 

Impact

The impact of Uit met Autisme on disabled people’s lives is both measurable and meaningful. Users have reported increased confidence when planning activities, reduced anxiety before visits, and fewer negative sensory experiences. For many, this enables participation in leisure activities that were previously inaccessible. 

This impact is reflected in the platform’s scale and growth. User engagement more than doubled between 2024 and 2025.  Leisure organisations report improved understanding of sensory accessibility and have made concrete changes to their communication and visitor experience based on the platform’s insights. This creates a multiplier effect, improving conditions for future visitors.

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