Quiet Hour

Touchwood has introduced a weekly ‘quiet hour’ in centre to help create a calm and enjoyable shopping experience for guests with autism.

The ‘quiet hour’ will take place each week between 9am and 10am.  Lights in all main areas of the centre will be dimmed, music turned off and tannoy announcements kept to a minimum to assist guests who prefer a calmer shopping environment.

The Touchwood team has worked closely with Autism West Midlands to launch the scheme, which is designed to help those who struggle in busy or loud environments. The new weekly initiative follows on from trials of previous successful ‘quiet hours’, as well as the centre’s participation in Purple Tuesday, to improve accessibility and ensure that Touchwood is open for all.

Touchwood currently provides a number of additional accessible facilities, including its Shopmobility service offering the hire of scooters and wheelchairs free of charge.