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| AEW doing right by the autistic is rad Photo Credit: @TBroomey |
When most people think of autism, they probably think of Autism Speaks, the biggest "charity" that supposedly "helps" people with the condition. What most people don't know, or what they do know and agree with, is that the organization thinks of autism as a disease that needs to be cured, rather than a condition that just needs accommodation different from what people not on the spectrum are used to. Autism can take extreme forms with non-verbal people or other manifestations, but most of the people ON the spectrum just process things slightly differently. They can't handle being in crowds with a lot of people the same as neurotypical people can, or they're more easily overwhelmed by emotions or extreme senses.
Attending a wrestling show live can be an autistic person's worst nightmare with how much the artform relies on big noises, flashing lights, pyrotechnics, and people crowding together to watch the action in the ring, at least for larger-production-value shows produced by WWE or New Japan Pro Wrestling. All Elite Wrestling recognized this and partnered with Kulture City, an organization that is dedicated for making life a little easier for the neurodivergent folks out there. An attendee of Double or Nothing let everyone know what that partnership entails:
The United States Government made sweeping changes to how buildings are made accessible to people with physical differences, but the government and other private businesses have been slow to act in accommodating those with different mental abilities. The fact that a wrestling company is making big waves here when people look at wrestling as such a retrograde activity is impressive. Hopefully other wrestling companies with big production values follow AEW's lead after failing to be the leaders in this department.
Attending a wrestling show live can be an autistic person's worst nightmare with how much the artform relies on big noises, flashing lights, pyrotechnics, and people crowding together to watch the action in the ring, at least for larger-production-value shows produced by WWE or New Japan Pro Wrestling. All Elite Wrestling recognized this and partnered with Kulture City, an organization that is dedicated for making life a little easier for the neurodivergent folks out there. An attendee of Double or Nothing let everyone know what that partnership entails:
Again, not to toot the horn for a corporate entity for doing good things for the right reason, but much in the same way it reacted to an abusive "fan" hurling transphobic insults at Nyla Rose, AEW shows that the company is committed to providing a safe atmosphere for people of all walks of life at its wrestling shows. Right or capitalist reasons, that is a net positive.So these were given out for free at Double or Nothing and there was a room for people with sensory overload to calm down and watch the show in.— Autistic Wrestling Fan (@TBroomey) May 31, 2019
Shout out to @AEWrestling and @kulturec for being inclusive and making wrestling truly for everyone. pic.twitter.com/rw5ZV73ZKS
The United States Government made sweeping changes to how buildings are made accessible to people with physical differences, but the government and other private businesses have been slow to act in accommodating those with different mental abilities. The fact that a wrestling company is making big waves here when people look at wrestling as such a retrograde activity is impressive. Hopefully other wrestling companies with big production values follow AEW's lead after failing to be the leaders in this department.
