On 26 September 2023, the Minister for Family Affairs and Integration, Max Hahn, and Luxembourg Confederation invited to a press conference at the Kirchberg Shopping Centre to present the concept and usefulness of the "silent hours".
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(from left to right) Jean-Luc Carré, Auchan ; Eric Mathieu, Nhood ; Max Hahn, Minister for Family Affairs and Integration.
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(1st row, l. to r.) Tom Baumert, Luxembourg Confederation; Max Hahn, Minister for Family and Integration; Joanne Theisen
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(l. to r.) Jean-Luc Carré, Auchan; Eric Mathieu, Nhood; Tom Baumert, Luxembourg Confederation; Max Hahn, Minister for Family and Integration; Joanne Theisen, subject matter expert; Patrick Simon, Fondation Autisme Luxembourg; Nancy Thomas, IMS
"I would like to warmly thank everyone involved in this important initiative and for your commitment to a more inclusive society. Thanks to the introduction of the 'silent hours', you are creating calmer conditions for people with autism spectrum disorder and hypersensitivity", emphasised the Minister.
Luxembourg Confederation aims to raise awareness of the initiative and to promote the idea of "silent hours" among its members and all retailers. As a next step, a brochure containing best practices and rules for implementing "silent hours", workshops and networking events on the subject will be launched. "As Luxembourg Confederation, we are raising awareness and promoting this project among our federations and among other companies. In this framework, we will support and accompany the federations to make their businesses even more accessible and inclusive. We are planning information workshops to present the project and can thus offer case-by-case accompaniment for the introduction of silent hours in interested shops", said Tom Baumert, Head of Luxembourg Confederation.
The "silent hours" were launched by the Kirchberg Shopping Centre and the Cloche d'Or Shopping Centre, managed by Nhood, the Auchan hypermarket and participating retailers, in partnership with the Fondation autisme Luxembourg and IMS Luxembourg. This inclusive initiative aims to facilitate access to the shopping centre and optimise the visit for people with autism, so that they are confronted with as few stimuli as possible. In general, time slots have been created to ensure a more relaxed shopping experience and a calmer environment. During these periods, the lighting is dimmed and the background music is turned down to create a calmer atmosphere. This initiative is designed to meet the needs of people with autism, mental health problems, sensory disorders or simply those who appreciate a calmer atmosphere.
Nhood, manager of Cloche d'Or Shopping Center and Kirchberg Shopping Center, is the first operator in Luxembourg to sign the official "Silent hours, I'm committed!" pledge with the ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region, the Fondation autisme Luxembourg, the Fédération luxembourgeoise de l'alimentation et de la distribution and IMS, agreeing to reduce visual and auditory stimuli during fixed hours and to communicate and raise awareness among customers, staff and employees of the commitments made to respect the "silent hours".
For more information, visit www.watassnormal.lu/evenements and www.chartediversite.lu.
Companies can contact the following address for further information: info@confederation.lu.
- Silent hours at Cloche d'Or: every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Silent hours at Kirchberg: every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Press release by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region