Interview (Autistic Adult - Travel experience)

Participant: Female, 25–34

Question

What does independence mean to you?

Participant

“It means I can live my life freely without being Co dependent on others.”

Reflection

This participant clearly connects independence with freedom from dependency on other people.

Question

Can you tell me about an international trip you have taken? Were there any parts of planning or travelling that you found particularly difficult?

Participant

“Recently I went to Italy and the most tricky part was the trains. As we didn’t realise we had to validate the tickets.”

Reflection

This is a good example of how unfamiliar rules and procedures can create barriers when travelling internationally. Something routine within one country may be completely unfamiliar to someone visiting.

Question

Have any barriers affected your confidence, independence, or willingness to travel internationally?

Participant

“I tend to rely on my sister for her language skills. Finding the best prices is the hardest for me.”

Reflection

This introduces language and affordability as barriers to independence. Both can increase reliance on other people or make planning more difficult.

Question

What have been the biggest challenges you've experienced while travelling internationally?

Participant

“Finding restaurants or activities on a budget can be very overwhelming.”

Reflection

Affordability is not just a financial issue here; the process of finding appropriate options is itself described as overwhelming.

Question

If you could change one thing about international travel to make it better for autistic adults, what would it be and why?

Participant

“An app or website which lists places that are friendly to neurodivergent people would be great. And a way to connect with others.”

Reflection

This suggests an interest in trusted neurodivergent-friendly recommendations and community information. It also demonstrates that the desired support extends beyond the airport.

Question

What has helped make travelling easier or more enjoyable for you?

Participant

“Having a well thought out plan makes the whole thing much more manageable.”

Reflection

Again, planning and predictability appear as important ways of making travel manageable.

Question

Imagine there were no limitations on cost or technology. If you could introduce one new service, system or support to improve independent international travel for autistic adults, what would it be and why?

Participant

“A room in airports where autistic adults can have a moment of quiet while waiting. An area in planes reserved for them as well. An app that could provide information on transport over multiple countries and describe the cultural differences and even allow you to book through the website.”

Reflection

This response combines physical spaces with digital support. The participant wants quiet environments as well as centralised information about transport and cultural differences.

It supports the possibility that the eventual design response may need to work as part of a larger service or system, rather than functioning as a standalone app.

Question

Which parts of the airport journey do you find most difficult, and what information or support would make them easier?

Participant

“I find security the most nerve wracking as each country has a slightly different policy. Such as in Britain there is no longer a need to put liquids in a clear plastic bag due to the technology advancements. But some countries still require this.”

Reflection

This is particularly valuable for my research because it identifies inconsistency between countries as the source of security anxiety.

The participant is not simply afraid of security itself; the problem is not knowing exactly what procedure will apply. This provides a strong connection between predictability, international travel and airport-specific information design.

Question

Is there anything else you would like to share about your experiences of international travel?

Participant

“Traveling is always a cultural shock, but more so for autistic adults. Creating more neurodivergent spaces would encourage more travel and greater independence for these people.”

Reflection

This directly connects better accessibility with greater independence and increased willingness to travel.

It also broadens accessibility beyond individual adjustments and suggests that environments themselves could be intentionally designed to be more neurodivergent-friendly.

Overall Reflection

The strongest themes in this interview are international inconsistency, affordability, cultural unfamiliarity, planning and neurodivergent-friendly environments.

The security response is particularly useful because it suggests a potentially very specific design problem: autistic travellers may need clear advance information about exactly what will happen at security in each individual airport or country, rather than generic airport advice.