Interview (Autistic Adult - Travel experience)

Participant: Female, 25–34

Question

What does independence mean to you?

Participant

“Being able to carry out a task or activity without need of help or intervention by another person.”

Reflection

For this participant, independence is directly connected to being able to manage without another person's intervention. This makes their later reliance on companions particularly significant.

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

“Being in crowded loud small spaces, especially if not prepared feeling out of control of myself and surroundings. Change in pressure on the plane.”

Reflection

This identifies crowding, noise, lack of space and physical sensations as barriers. Preparation appears to influence how manageable these environments feel.

Question

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

Participant

“I don't feel confident asking for help so having someone travelling with me is ideal. I would like to prepare ahead understanding the airport/which terminal and which gate so I would try to stick to airports and terminals I'm more familiar with especially when they are busy. Having to plan all of that what to do when there (getting public transport/cab/renting a car) and get back through an international airport where the language is different I choose to not travel at all. Most of the ways I try deal with my anxiety currently I'm unable to do with such a small space on an aeroplane.”

Reflection

This is a particularly significant response because the barriers can lead to complete travel avoidance. Difficulty asking for help, unfamiliar airports, language differences, planning demands and the physical environment all interact rather than functioning as separate problems.

Question

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

Participant

“I get trapped in a cycle of getting anxious about being nauseous that I make myself nauseous and losing sensation in my body and being unable to remove myself from a crowded situation and no fresh air so just feeling like I can't breathe. Mainly on the plane. The times I've been in airports often I've been able to find space where it doesn't feel as cramped.”

Reflection

This shows how anxiety and the physical environment can reinforce each other. It also reminds me that some important barriers occur on the aircraft rather than inside the airport.

Question

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

Participant

“More footroom on aeroplanes.”

Reflection

The participant wants greater physical space and control over proximity, supporting the wider theme that accessibility is not only about information or technology.

Question

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

Participant

“A good playlist. Friends/family who are confident and happy to ignore me so I can just keep my head down. Understanding the airport layout and where the gate could be.”

Reflection

Sensory regulation, advance knowledge and trusted people all help. Interestingly, the participant values support that is available but not intrusive.

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

“Teleportaton that doesn't make me nauseous.”

Reflection

Although playful, this communicates something meaningful: the participant would ideally remove the difficult physical journey itself. It highlights the limits of what graphic or digital design can realistically solve.

Question

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

Participant

“Noise and crowds are the most difficult for me. I also find gates not being announced until close to boarding or the gate changing frustrating. I would like to find the gate and maybe camp outside until boarding opens. And more labeled toilets and water fountains.”

Reflection

This combines sensory overload with uncertainty and information design. Knowing the gate earlier would allow the participant to settle and reduce uncertainty, while clearer facility signage could reduce additional navigation demands.

Question

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

Participant

“It's a lot easier for me to travel somewhere if I travel with someone I know I can trust. Even better if they are experienced in travel so they can help navigate the airport.”

Reflection

Despite defining independence as managing without another person, this participant currently relies heavily on a trusted traveller. This raises an important design question: could better preparation and navigation support reduce some of that dependency?

Overall Reflection

This interview strongly connects sensory barriers, physical space, uncertainty, navigation and reliance on trusted people. It also provides direct evidence that accumulated barriers can cause someone to decide not to travel at all.