NJ Transit all in for Autism Acceptance Month

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — NJ Transit is recognizing Autism Acceptance Month with station announcements recorded by local autistic children and buses wrapped in messaging to promote acceptance.

“NJ Transit is proud to feature local children in our recorded announcements,” said NJ Transit President Kevin S. Corbett. “It is just one way we can demonstrate NJ Transit’s commitment to providing inclusive mass transportation.”

The transit agency has also expanded the use of the Magnusmode travel aid app for rail customers, which Corbett said are critical to providing the tools needed to make the transportation system more accessible to neurodivergent customers.

The initiatives are part of a goal in NJ Transit’s 10-Year Strategic Plan to offer all of its customers an efficient, safe, inclusive and effective way to travel.
MagnusCards by Magnusmode is a digital life skills app with guides to help autistic and neurodiverse persons perform everyday activities.

The app uses visual cues, step-by-step instructions and optional audio to guide users through activities and tasks that may be unfamiliar to them. The MagnusCards mobile app is available in Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

“The NJ Transit MagnusCards provide a personal transit training and support tool for autistic and neurodiverse individuals that is handheld, free, and easy to use,” said Magnusmode Founder and CEO Nadia Hamilton. “Providing this support is tremendously impactful; Mastery of transit skills increases an autistic person’s confidence and employability and enables greater participation in all aspects of community life.”

In 2022, Magnusmode and NJ Transit launched five card decks in the MagnusCards app guiding bus travel, and this year they are launching five more card decks guiding rail travel.

Through a partnership with Happy Hour 4 Kids, neurodiverse children have recorded train station announcements that will be played throughout the system for Autism Acceptance Month in April.

Children have been recruited both within NJ Transit and from the public. Sample announcements include:

“Hi, my name is Henry Huber and as part of Autism Awareness Month I would like to welcome you aboard NJ Transit” or “Please watch the gap while boarding the train.”
Through a sponsorship with Happy Hour 4 Kids, NJ Transit has wrapped two buses in Autism Acceptance Month graphics to help promote the message during the month of April.

NJ Transit also has an accessibility-related website content and user experience, available at njtransit.com/accessibility.

The webpage features an overview video about the many services and features of NJ Transit that make it accessible to all individuals, as well as easy-to-use links to specific information and informational videos, which are captioned in six languages in addition to English.