We want everyone to have a good time at Mysterium, but we also know that large crowds can be a little overwhelming to some people. To help attendees who may wish to express their communication preferences quickly and non-verbally, we’ve followed BronyCon‘s lead and partnered with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) to make their color-coded badges available to any attendee who wants one. Use these badges to indicate to others whether you want to be approached for interactions or not.

Briefly, here’s what the colors mean:

“Come Talk To Me!” A person wearing a green badge is actively seeking interaction. They may have trouble initating conversations, but it’s okay to come up and start a conversation with them.

“Do I Know You?” A yellow badge means its wearer only wants to talk to people they recognize. Unless you’ve met this person face-to-face before, don’t start a conversation with them. If they start talking to you, you’re welcome to talk back.

“Not Right Now.” If a person has a red badge showing, they do not want anyone to talk to them. They may approach you to talk, in which case it’s okay to respond. But unless you’ve been told you’re on someone’s “red list”, don’t start interacting with them.

If you see someone wearing a yellow or red badge, please respect their wishes. If you are wearing a yellow or red badge and someone is harassing you by not respecting your preference, find the nearest Mysterium staff member immediately.

Again, these badges will be available at the registration desk to anyone who wants one. You will receive a pin-on badge holder with two cards: a green/yellow double-sided card, and a red card. We will also have signs throughout the convention spaces at the hotel and at Cyan explaining these badges.

If you are interested in using these badges at your own event, you can download BronyCon’s template here: http://bit.ly/CommunicationBadges