SUNWAY VELOCITY MALL LAUNCHES AUTSOME INITIATIVE, AIMS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT ASD

KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Bernama) -- Sunway Velocity Mall today launches its Autsome (Autism is Awesome) initiative, which aims to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and offer facilities and services for autistic people.

Sunway Velocity Mall’s senior general manager, Phang Sau Lian, said that this collaboration with the Autism Behavioral Centre (ABC), started at Sunway Putra Mall, then extended to Sunway Carnival Mall, Sunway Pyramid and is now being introduced at Sunway Velocity Mall.

“As a socially responsible organisation, we recognise the importance of creating spaces which are inclusive and accommodating to people of all abilities. Autsome represents our unwavering commitment to promoting awareness, acceptance, convenience, and understanding for individuals with autism, by providing comfortable shopping facilities and privileges.

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“We have dedicated every Tuesday (except public holidays) from 10 am to 5 pm as an Autism Friendly Shopping Day,” she said in a speech at the Autsome launch today.

She said that, in line with this initiative, Sunway Velocity Mall will also be introducing two new autistic-friendly features, which are calm pods and a 100 per cent sustainable sensory wall, which allows individuals with autism to touch, feel and connect.

“Other initiatives include providing Autsome kits, which include a special wristband for children with ASD to wear, for easier identification and assistance if needed, as well as a car sticker for families to park in the designated reserved parking bays.

“The mall will play soft music every Tuesday, with the exception of public holidays. On top of that, specialised training was organised by ABC for our mall’s frontliners, security workers, and our store employees, and every aspect of Autsome has been thoughtfully curated to ensure that everyone feels welcome and respected,” she said.

Phang said  that, with the ongoing collaboration with ABC, they will host various activities aimed at educating people about ASD, and giving shoppers the opportunity to learn about and understand it better, empowering them to offer assistance wherever they can.

Meanwhile, she also introduced the Farm, supported by Sunway XFarm, as part of Sunway Velocity Mall Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) initiatives, to promote urban farming.

She said that, in a world where the importance of sustainable living has never been more pronounced, the Farm stands as a beacon of hope, innovation and achieving food security, as well as ending hunger.

“Nestled within the bustling urban landscape of Sunway Velocity Mall, this urban farm symbolises our commitment to environmental stewardship, and the promotion of locally sourced, organic produce.

“Additionally, our partnership with Sunway XFarm, an innovative agricultural body, will allow us to integrate sustainable farming practices into the Farm, ensuring that our produce is not only fresh and nutritious, but also environmentally friendly,” she added.

-- BERNAMA