Mandy Williams: Autism inclusive walking

In this episode of Voices of the Walk, Valerie Carson from Paths for All’s Walking for Health team speaks with Mandy Williams, Volunteer Coordinator at SWAN Autism (Scotland), previously known as SWAN (Scottish Women’s Autism Network). SWAN Autism (Scotland) was established in 2012 and is an autistic-led charity delivering services, information and support for and by autistic women, girls and non-binary people across Scotland. Paths for All and SWAN Autism (Scotland) have been working in partnership over the past year to look at ways of making walking more accessible for people who are autistic. This conversation was recorded in February 2024 in Stirling at Paths for All’s office. Mandy and Valerie discuss the work of SWAN Autism (Scotland), the challenges faced by autistic people accessing opportunities to be active as well as own Mandy’s personal experiences of joining sports clubs. Mandy and Valerie also talk about the Health Walk group that SWAN Autism (Scotland) established with support from Paths for All and Valerie, and the toolkit that has been produced to inform and support other Health Walk groups to be more inclusive and welcoming to autistic people. You can find out more about the work of SWAN Autism (Scotland) here and you can contact them directly at [email protected] You can download the Step by Step: Creating Autism-Inclusive Health Walks toolkit here