BROOKE ALDRIDGE

Brooke Aldridge is an Arkansas-based designer who sees design as a gateway for empathy and connection in our community. She works to have a well-rounded creative skillset with interests in illustration, creative writing, motion graphics and UX design. In her personal life she is an avid reader, gamer and animal-lover, all of which contribute to her creative inspiration. Her degree project is inspired by her autistic friends and loved ones; through creating a space for them, she hopes to further awareness and acceptance of the autistic community.

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“FRANKLY, AUTISTIC PEOPLE DESERVE A SPACE FOR THEIR VOICES TO BE HEARD.”

The technical definition of autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that manifests itself in a broad range of conditions such as challenges with social skills, repetitive behavior, speech and nonverbal communication. The reality is much more complex: the autistic community is a diverse group of people each with a unique set of challenges. Creating resources for such a diverse community can be difficult, and this is why resources created for the autistic community are often limited to children. This creates a disparity, leaving autistic adults to cope for themselves with the limited resources available to them.

Many people within the autistic community feel that they were misunderstood or misrepresented growing up, which can lead to social isolation and the development of comorbid conditions like depression and anxiety as an adult. In fact, autistic adults are 4 – 13 times more likely to be socially isolated than other groups with disabilities. The lack of understanding of the autistic community in a neurotypical world is further amplified by controversial support systems such as Autism Speaks.

So, how can we create a better platform for the autistic community that promotes a more understanding message and allows for deeper social connection? Brooke Aldridge interviewed and surveyed people with autism spectrum disorder and arrived at a specific solution: We let the community speak for themselves, through a platform made specifically for them. Brooke came up with the idea for a mobile application called unun. 

The goal of unun is to give autistic people a virtual space to connect individually, as well as a community in a flexible, user-friendly, accessibility-focused mobile app. Each autistic person has uncommon experiences, hardships, interests and perspectives; oftentimes a neurotypical person or even other autistic people cannot relate to these hardships and experiences. Unun’s algorithm would have the capability to match people based on their experiences as an autistic person, while also taking into account their hobbies and interests. This combination paves the way for the opportunity of friendships. Unun also includes a community feed, for broader discussion or celebration of just about anything. 

A major focus for unun is the ability to customize and change the level of accessibility based on your needs. There are extensive accessibility settings that allow the user to customize colors, fonts, and the complexity of the interface. Profile customization is another aspect that allows for specificity. The app includes an optional “spectrum quiz” that gives the user a comprehensible visualization of their place on the autism spectrum, and allows them to compare this to others if they decide to. The profile also allows users to put custom interest chips on their profile, which can later be used to sort friendship match results. Unun places emphasis on control, customization and the inclusion of differently-abled individuals.

Autistic people are not defined by their autism, they are defined by their interests, values, and perspectives. Living on the spectrum doesn’t necessarily mean someone is disabled, but that they are living life in a natural, unique way. When the community has a space for celebration and acceptance, perhaps the world can begin to understand as well.