I have an idea

...so you're saying you want to put the data from the NAS service directory http://www.autism.org.uk/directory.aspx onto a map, so that people can see the relative location of things?

Couldn't we just ask the NAS to insert a Google map mashup into their existing service directory, so that anyone with access to the web (even if they don't own the relevant smartphone platform), would be able to access it?

The trouble is that the data on the directory isn’t sufficient. It’s all very well if you are “lucky” enough to live in an area where there are services and autistic specific support or friendly places. Many areas of the country just do not have anything on the directory or if there is it’s the wrong age group or service.  I think the idea is more for things not on the directory already. So that if we find something/somewhere that is autism friendly it can be added to the app. For example the little local quiet cafe or the quieter evening dimmed lighting swim etc if each one of us could add two or three things up and down the country we could cover more postcodes. The quiet cinema events are a great idea but for me they are miles away and just too far to attend. Even Council sports facilities are postcode lottery’s in one area there are more disabled or autism friendly events or sessions and in some they just don’t understand what you are asking for and so there aren’t any. It’s not just noise and lights, it’s sizes of groups or how claustrophobic somewhere is alterations in shops or libraries where shelves are brought closer together or higher mean I’m less likely to go in .. 

Hi @Misfit61,

OK, so given your comment, I can see two options (there might be other options, but I can't personally see them right now; is that also an ASD "thing"??? ):

1) Augment the existing NAS directory with the additional information, and make it a one-stop-shop. Let the NAS vet any submissions from users.

2) Fragment the information between the NAS directory and a 3rd party app, with the likelihood that some users, such as Former Member, can't access a 3rd party app, simply because they don't have the "right" phone/tablet. FWIW, I wasn't actually planning on *my* next handset being a smartphone either. This immediately creates a second class of autistic "have nots". Then the rest of you will have the consequential problem of needing to look in two or more places whenever you want something autism-related. You'll probably also have to pay some kind of subscription fee to use the app, depending on the business model that the provider selects; server time is unfortunately not totally free, and an app's creators deserve to eat, too.

I also fully grok your explanation of the crowd-sourcing of additional venues. It's the USP of this proposal really. However, again, I think there is a potential unintended consequence here too:

Let's say forum user @XYZ (I hope there isn't a real @XYZ because I just made that up ) starts submitting AFAs (Autism Friendly Areas) to the app. It could well be feasible to identify us by analysis of the "centres of gravity" of our submissions, based on our actual locations being roughly central to the set of places we each identify as being autism friendly. This immediately makes user privacy a big concern of any such 3rd party app.

Next, you've also got the situation where user @999 adds a cafe that they like very much, only to have other users panning the place because each of our needs and specific triggers are different? I guess I am wondering if there are really places that are accessible to *all* autistic individuals, or only overlapping sub-sets of *some* of us... we would probably need to have a trial data set of "really good places" to progress those questions though.

thank you for explanation of the acronyms. The beauty of a community is that we all have different strengths. So it’s good that you can show us a practical view of such a project. I just didn’t want to possibilities squashed. In with the classification of the type of place could also be a couple of descriptive words to show why it’s afa. But yes I think you’ve got it about right. 

thank you for explanation of the acronyms. The beauty of a community is that we all have different strengths. So it’s good that you can show us a practical view of such a project. I just didn’t want to possibilities squashed. In with the classification of the type of place could also be a couple of descriptive words to show why it’s afa. But yes I think you’ve got it about right.