Autism Europe has won this year’s Incredible Impacts Award – and $20,000 - after turning its flagship event in Dublin last year into a model for conference inclusion.
The award – co-sponsored by ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance – celebrates the ‘beyond tourism’ value of meetings, spotlighting associations making a real difference.
Autism Europe was competing against Housing Europe and WindEurope for the coveted award, which was decided by audience vote at this year’s ICCA Congress, in Panama.
Fiona Ferris, deputy CEO at As I Am and organising committee member for Autism Europe 2025, presented the winning case-study in front of hundreds of ICCA delegates.
More than 1,800 delegates gathered in Dublin, Ireland, to share knowledge and develop solutions to help autistic people live, learn and work with equal opportunity.
The event was led by autistic people, with a majority-autistic scientific committee and more than 80 per cent of speakers identifying as autistic.
Ferris said this was crucial to the events success. “In the disability community, if something is about us, it should never be created without us,” she said.
The organising committee began by listening to autistic people’s concerns. In a survey, 72 per cent did not expect their sensory needs to be considered, 65 per cent thought they might need to ‘mask’ and 59 per cent said missing practical details could increase anxiety.
The congress responded with changes such as quiet spaces, communication stickers to signal whether someone was comfortable talking, and ‘flat applause,’ a quieter alternative to clapping.
Attendee feedback suggested the changes worked. After the congress, 71 per cent said they could see and feel that sensory needs had been considered; 40 per cent said the design reduced their need to mask; and 73 per cent said the information provided eased anxiety.
The impact also reached beyond the event itself. The congress brought senior leaders together to create an Autism and Employment Roadmap, with the goal of engaging 100 employers in recruiting autistic job seekers. At one panel, the AIB bank announced that all 170 of its branches had been certified autism-friendly through its partnership with As I Am. Public-facing activity brought the message into Dublin, while the congress website reached 4.2 million people.
Autism Europe hopes to scale the model with a practical toolkit and training for conference organisers.
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
