Library Accessibility for People on the Autism Spectrum

Thesis/goal – The purpose of the article is to outline the contemporary challenge of creating libraries accessible to people on the autism spectrum. Method – In the first part, I focus on explaining what autism is, presenting statistics on the frequency of occurrence and the main needs of affected persons resulting from autism. Then, referring to the applicable legal documents, I describe what solutions have been developed for readers on the spectrum as part of the project “Librarian, make friends with a person with autism”. Conclusions – The project was implemented by the Association of Polish Librarians in partnership with the SYNAPSIS Foundation. Finally, I present various initiatives of Polish libraries aimed at creating friendly conditions and increasing the awareness of the local community regarding people on the autism spectrum.