Ballina awarded Autism Friendly Town status
BALLINA was among five communities across Ireland recognised with new autism friendly status at the AsIAm Autism Friendly Towns Awards 2026, which took place at Dublin City Hall.
In achieving Autism Friendly Town status, Ballina joins other established leaders in creating more inclusive spaces for autistic people and their families.
A number of communities were also recognised at the awards event for their outstanding contributions in specific areas, with Ballina and Westport recipients of the Community Engagement Award, honouring their outstanding work in creating inclusive public spaces.
Ireland’s movement towards more inclusive communities reached a new milestone this week as AsIAm celebrated the largest-ever expansion of its Autism Friendly Towns programme with 50 communities engaging in the structured framework for inclusion.
AsIAm CEO Adam Harris said: “The Autism Friendly Towns Awards are a wonderful opportunity to recognise the communities and organisations taking meaningful steps to create a more inclusive Ireland for autistic people. We are delighted to celebrate this year’s winners, whose commitment to understanding, accessibility and acceptance is helping to make a real difference locally.
“At AsIAm, we know that building autism-friendly communities has a lasting impact on the everyday lives of autistic people and their families. Our Same Chance research shows that over half of Autistic people report barriers to participating fully in community life. These awards not only celebrate progress, but also encourage others across Ireland to take positive steps towards greater inclusion.
“The Autism Friendly Towns Awards are about something very simple - ensuring autistic people have the same chance to participate in their communities as anyone else. That’s why the leadership shown by these towns matters.
“Their commitment to understanding, accessibility and acceptance is helping to turn the idea of inclusion into something real and practical - not just policy, but lived experience. These communities are showing what it looks like to build an Ireland where everyone truly has the same chance to belong.”
AsIAm’s Autism Friendly Towns Award provides a structured yet achievable framework for communities of all sizes to foster inclusion. Towns and cities earn and retain Autism Friendly status by demonstrating progress over a three-year cycle, guided by clear criteria. This includes establishing a voluntary Autism Friendly Town committee, implementing a three-year action plan, engaging local employers to support autistic individuals through work experience or employment, training Autism Friendly Champions across key sectors, and ensuring businesses and organisations are assistance dog-friendly to enhance accessibility.