Alexis’ story: "It’s so overwhelming that I miss some work"
Alexis, 26, lives in a small rural village where she relies on transport to get to work meetings across the country. Living rurally means that her options for travel are limited, and she often has to make multiple connections which can be difficult:
"I already struggle to travel alone because of anxiety, sensory and social difficulties, as well as not being very good at navigating, so it creates a lot more stress and worry having to switch transport. The fear of past experiences reoccurring contributes to this as well, like getting caught in a tightly packed rush of people pushing and shoving to get through the ticket barriers with no escape, and feeling unable to approach staff members for help. It’s become so overwhelming, I’ve ended up missing some work."
It's common for autistic people like Alexis to feel trapped and panicked whilst travelling through busy hubs and spaces. Challenging journeys can stay with her, adding to her travel anxiety because of the chance that similar issues will repeat. Even though she relies on transport for her job, sometimes it’s so inaccessible that she can’t make it in. Alexis notes how having someone with her can make all the difference in managing unexpected situations, as she recalls a particular train journey:
"At one of my closest train stations there are no ticket barriers, and so it often helps to have someone wait with me on the platform when travelling alone. However, one time there was unexpectedly ticket checks at the entrance, so I started getting anxious that I would have to go through alone, but when the person accompanying me explained and asked if they could wait with me on the platform, they were really understanding and allowed it with no judgement or questions. This small accommodation made me feel more confident in going to ask these staff for help if I need it in the future, since I regularly attend that particular station."
To make public transport accessible for her, Alexis feels it would help if there was:
- Better training for staff to understand what autistic people need
- More patience and compassion from staff, to help autistic people feel confident expressing their needs
- More sensory friendly spaces where autistic people can go to cope and access help when needed
- Resources to boost public understanding of how autistic people may struggle with transport
This case study is part of a series from our recent research project: Empowering Autistic Travel. The project was led by autistic people and collected data from thousands of autistic people, as well as their families and supporters, gathering insight about the many challenges faced when using public transport in the UK. Here, we share some of their stories, which highlight personal challenges, the impact they have and the strategies that would help. You can read other case studies from this series and explore the full research findings in our research report.
