Derbyshire man's mission to aid autistic people in Ukraine war

Jude Winter - BBC News, Derby
·2 min read

A Derbyshire journalist is fundraising to take vital supplies to autistic people in war-torn Ukraine.

David Higgs MBE, who is autistic himself, wants to aid and shine a light on how war affects those with sensory issues.

The project aims to raise £5,000 to cover the cost of buying at least 100 sets of ear defenders.

Mr Higgs, 72, said: "I launched this project because of my own challenges with sensory and social overload."

Alongside raising money for ear defenders, the project also aims for the funds to go towards anxiety-reducing aids suitable for autistic people.

The Autism Ukraine Project is being launched after 14 months of "intense research reaching out to Ukraine's autistic community", said Mr Higgs, from West Hallam.

"We also intend to address some of the prejudice, stigma and misconceptions encountered by autistic people by highlighting the roles of some remarkable autistic Ukrainians acting with courage, determination, resilience and creativity to resist Putin's invasion of their country."

"How does an autistic person cope in a war zone with explosions, evacuation and social upheaval?"

'On the frontlines'

"Many of them are on the frontlines, fighting. Many of them are in support services, many are helping with information technology. They are fighting actively to save their country."

Chief executive of Autism East Midlands, Jane Howson, said autism "affects how people see the world".

"Some autistic people have sensory differences and this can include being hypersensitive to some or all noise", said Ms Howson.

"People affected in this way can experience pain or fear when exposed to trigger noises. Others might go into sensory overload and become distressed. Ear defenders can help people who are hypersensitive to noise as they block out sounds.

"Living in a conflict zone must bring with it additional challenges with regards to noise and anxiety, making it even more essential that autistic people with sensory needs have access to the right equipment."

Mr Higgs is set to depart the UK in four weeks, before motoring 4,000 miles through Ukraine to meet, document and help autistic people fighting in the war.

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