AN APP designed to give more freedom to people with autism has been launched by an Alloa-based charity.
Scottish Autism, the national charity headquartered in the town, has launched AutNav for tablets, having developed it in partnership with the National Autistic Taskforce.
AutNav, which it is hoped will support people around the globe, brings together an individual's favourite content and keeps it all in one place.
It was specifically developed so that autistic people, including those in supported settings, could use technology to pursue their interests and keep in touch with friends and family.
The app has been developed following a generous legacy gift to Scottish Autism and also delivers on the vision of the late Dr Dinah Murray.
Dr Murray was passionate about supporting the rights of autistic individuals with profound communication difficulties, often supported in long-term residential care, and saw AutNav as a method to enable them to communicate their interests as well as interact with friends and wider family.
Charlene Tait, deputy CEO of Scottish Autism, said: “We are delighted to be able to launch this innovative app, developed in line with the wishes of the late Dinah Murray, and which can act as a fitting and powerful legacy to her work championing the rights of autistic people.
“We are grateful that a generous bequeathment enabled us to develop AutNav and bring Dinah’s vision into being.
VISION: The app was the brainchild of the late Dr Dinah Murray - Photo by Fergus Murray, taken in Berwick on Tweed in 2018 - CC BY-SA 4.0
“Gifts in wills provide vital funding to allow us to develop new projects, like AutNav, and help us to both plan for the future and provide everyday services for the individuals we support.
"We know from the feedback we have received from the autistic people who have tested the app in its development that they find it beneficial and easy to use and we are excited to see it rolled out and available to autistic people, not just in Scotland, but across the whole world."
The app works by creating shortcuts to chosen content so that music, videos and websites are easy to access, along with quick links to close contacts.
It is customisable, including optional colour schemes, with information displayed in whatever volume the user would like.
Kabie Brook, of Autism Rights Group Highland (ARGH) and a director of the National Autistic Taskforce, added: “AutNav will increase the autonomy of those autistic people and others who currently struggle to enjoy all the benefits of the internet that some of us take for granted."
AutNav is available from the App Store and Google Play for free.
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