"Richard Branson 'to introduce autism-friendly Virgin package holidays'", 16 Feb 2017

Virgin is working with parents and campaigners to develop “autism-friendly” holiday packages...Jo-Ann D’Costa-Manuel, founder and director of charity Autism Parent Empower, said she was in talks with Virgin Holidays about a number of new initiatives to make holidays easier for families with autistic children. These include giving staff in selected locations special training and providing detailed information about what to expect so families and children can be as prepared as possible, she said...Virgin Holidays said it wanted to “enhance our provisions for families with autism throughout their entire holiday” and was considering “various initiatives to assist families with autism who wish to travel”.  Around 700,000 people in the UK – 1.1 per cent of the population – have a form of autism, a developmental disability which affects communication, social interaction and how someone experiences the world around them...Virgin Holidays said it wanted to “enhance our provisions for families with autism throughout their entire holiday” and was considering “various initiatives to assist families with autism who wish to travel”.  Around 700,000 people in the UK – 1.1 per cent of the population – have a form of autism, a developmental disability which affects communication, social interaction and how someone experiences the world around them.