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- Autism-Friendly Shrewsbury: Nerdy and Beyond
Autism-Friendly Shrewsbury: Nerdy and Beyond
Nerdy is a board game café and events venue in Shrewsbury Town centre. It is a fully inclusive, family friendly environment that offers an extensive library of board games, a digital gaming wall, private hire spaces, an exciting and delicious food menu and, of course, superb coffee.
More than anything, Nerdy is about acceptance and being a welcoming and safe place for everyone, something that is particularly important to celebrate during Autism Acceptance Week.
One of the biggest challenges experienced by the autism community is that of loneliness and exclusion, which can have a huge impact on the mental health of autistic individuals.
This exclusion can start in childhood and it’s really important that there are places where members of the autistic community of all ages can come together in a positive and inclusive way.
We are lucky in Shrewsbury to have a number of inclusive venues, alongside Nerdy, where everyone is welcomed and accepted.
The Hole in the Wall pub on Shoplatch in Shrewsbury prides itself on being able to respond to the needs of the neurodivergent community and welcomes discussions with customers about how they can accommodate their needs.
Theatre Severn offers relaxed performances, where noise levels are reduced, lighting remains on and there is a quiet space for visitors if needed.
You can grab coffee and have a bite to eat at Palmers of Shrewsbury (pictured) or at the Refresh Café in Bicton Heath, and at In Good Hands Music Café in Frankwell you will find a range of creative and live music events as well as great food on offer.
But, really, anywhere can be autism friendly if there is a culture of welcome and acceptance and people are prepared to listen to and value each other each other.
Nerdy works closely with the Parent Carer Council (PACC) Shropshire to create opportunities for young people from the neurodivergent community to come together, building important friendships and confidence which will last into adulthood and create even more of a demand for venues in the community which welcome everyone.
We hope other venues will take the opportunity to think about how they can become more inclusive during Autism Acceptance Week.
Our thanks to Katie of Nerdy and Sarah of PACC for contributing this blog post to Original Shrewsbury for Autism Acceptance Week.
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Nerdy
An alcohol free, family friendly, fully inclusive environment that offers an extensive library of board games, private hire spaces, an exciting and delicious food menu, and superb coffee.
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