I thought I'd report on a small incident that happened last weekend. While insignificant on one level, I found it immensely encouraging on the other and actually wrote to thank the police.
I had been attending the 'Indian Summer' Festival at Curve Theatre, Leicester as part of my work with All-In Leicester https://artreach.org.uk/allinleicester/ We are a group of disabled people who visit venues in and around the city, giving our advice on how they may improve accessibility.
As I was walking away, I became a bit concerned that if I were to walk through to the bus station, I might get accosted or involved in some kind of race riot/anti-racism protest. I'd heard there was some commotion in the centre of town. So I began to consider whether to catch the bus from the stop by the railway station.
I saw two policemen walking past, so I stopped them. The conversation went like this:
Me: Excuse me. I’m autistic and I was wondering if you could advise me? Is it safe to walk through to the bus station from here?Policeman (obviously aware of what "autism" means): Well, it could be very loud, if that’s a problem for you?
Me (pointing to my noise-cancelling headphones): Yes. I don't like loud noises.
Policeman (reassuring smile): You might be better off going to the stop by the station, then. But from a security point of view, there are no problems at the moment.
Me: Thank you very much!
I was impressed by how open and receptive the police were and by how they immediately understood why I was asking and the meaning of the words “I’m autistic”. It was really encouraging!
