Community Conversation: Barberettes

Hello once more and this, as always, is Autistic Lincs. I'm not afraid of being different and today will be the start of a new feature within this column called Community Conversation. The idea is simple. Each week a Community Conversation appears in the column, I will have talked in a semi-structured way with somebody from the general public about autism/disability and the results will be shared.

I see great value in having chats with everyone possible to ensure that together we spread the most productive messages we can about autistic and disabled people. That doesn't always mean preach to the choir but sometimes you have to engage with different voices.

This past week I talked to someone at Barberettes in Spalding, a barbers that was highly recommended in a Spotted:Spalding post when someone asked about somewhere to take their autistic child for a haircut. Of course, this intrigued me and so I went to see for myself that day and was very impressed.

Here are the questions I asked and their thoughts on each:

Q: Do you have a link to autism/disability?

A: Through friends, really.

Q: Why do you think you are so recommended?

A: We are who we are. No hairs and graces. We're 'on their level.'

'Masking' is when an autistic person feels like they need to act 'less autistic' to blend into social norms and this does a lot of damage to mental health, causing us to feel unsafe and reject. The international six-week #TakeTheMaskOff is a response to this.

Q: Have there been times when you have felt unsafe or rejected?

A: Probably for being short! (laughs)

People don't get to see you. They judge.

Q: Being autistic, my main struggles are sensory or social. What sensory or social aspects of your store might affect autistic people?

A: Saturdays are busy. I can imagine it being too much. It's too much for us sometimes!

Q: What message would you give to the next generation of autistic/disabled people?

A: It's the inside, not the outside. 'To the world, you are one person but to one person, you are the world.' I love that quote.

That wraps up my brief but totally engaging conversation with Barberettes where I discovered a commitment, compassion, cheerfulness and undoubtedly a good haircut or six!

Barberettes are on Facebook

Contact me on Facebook and Twitter @Callum Brazzo, call or text me on 07528 810 172 or go to callumbrazzo.com to connect with me.

Until next Tuesday!