In June this year, while riding a public bus in Makati Philippines, a 25-year-old person with autism was suddenly triggered by the loud audio from another passenger’s cellphone. According to reports and a video that later went viral, he reacted by biting the passenger, and the people on the bus attacked and beat him up.
The incident made national headlines, and served as a painful reminder that many Filipinos are unaware of neurodiversity, and how loud sounds can be overwhelming, even physically painful, for people on the spectrum.
Following the attack, more similar incidents were being reported in the news. Eager to help and make a meaningful difference, The Project Inclusion Network and Jayme HQ partnered to launch the Safe Sound Check, a microsite designed to make everyday spaces less overwhelming for people with autism and sound sensitivities.
While most people can tune out background noise, those on the autism spectrum often experience sound as loud, simultaneous, and inescapable. This becomes especially challenging in public places like buses, classrooms, restaurants, malls, and transport terminals—spaces rarely designed with sensory accessibility in mind. Through the online microsite safesoundcheck.com, anyone can measure the noise around them, and if it exceeds safe thresholds, play a gentle audio reminder asking others to lower the volume.
Merlee Jayme, founder of The Misfits Camp and Jayme HQ, told Campaign that Safe Sound Check was born as a practical, immediate response to a human problem.
"The recent incidents that made headline news exposed how little awareness there is about sound sensitivity, an invisible disability that can cause physical pain or distress for people on the autism spectrum. Instead of another talk or conference, we wanted to create something tangible—something anyone could use to help make shared spaces safer and more empathetic."
Sharing his own commuting experience, Juan Alfonzo 'Japonz' Dacumos, a Psychology graduate from De La Salle University (DLSU) who is openly autistic, said “Commuting is very difficult when you have autism because every part of the journey exposes you to potentially dangerous sound levels. I always bring headphones with me, but it would help a lot if people were more conscious of how sounds affect us.”
The Safe Sound Check microsite was built through a genuine collaboration and took months to develop, from concept to prototype to testing. The initiative was led by The Project Inclusion Network with Jayme HQ driving the creative direction, the technology, and the communications strategy. Most importantly, The project tapped the neurodivergent creatives of The Misfits Camp, who played an active role in researching, designing, and testing the tool.
"The team didn’t just rely on data, they listened to lived experience," says Jayme. "The neurodivergent creatives helped calibrate what 'safe sound' really feels like, testing real-world noise levels to ensure the tool was both technically accurate and emotionally empathetic."
To make sure everyone could use it, the site was designed to be compatible with all types of mobile phones, regardless of brand or model. Users can just simply open safesoundcheck.com on their phone, measure the noise around them. And if it exceeds safe levels, play a gentle reminder asking people nearby to lower the volume. The platform also contains learning materials about autism and sound sensitivity, and how small acts of awareness can make shared spaces safer for everyone.
"Filipinos are naturally expressive—we talk loudly, play videos on our phones without earphones, and fill spaces with noise without realising how it affects others," says Jayme. "We don’t really have 'sound etiquette' built into our daily habits. This initiative isn’t asking people to stay quiet or live in library-level silence—it’s about learning to 'respect spaces' and to 'sound responsibly'.”
To reach more people, the campaign launched nationwide in the Philippines during World Sensory Month (October), featuring over 100 radio interviews, billboards across major cities, and partnerships with digital influencers. The team also went around introducing Safe Sound Check in schools and universities, helping young people understand neurodiversity and develop sound awareness early on.
The project has also gained partnerships with local government units, airlines, and fast-food chains to designate Safe Sound Zones—ispaces that promote healthy, safe sound levels. The impact has also reached policymakers. The House of Representatives has filed a bill with a counterpart measure to be filed in the Senate, which would officially declare October as Safe Sound Month, recognising sensory accessibility as an urgent inclusion issue.
Merlee Jayme, founder of Jayme HQ and Misfits Camp, with members of her team, pictured alongside Filipino congresswoman Florabel Yatco, author of the bill.
The legislation would encourage government agencies, schools, and businesses to monitor noise levels and promote awareness about sound sensitivity—not just for people on the autism spectrum, but for anyone affected by excessive sound exposure.
The goal is to make Safe Sound Check a part of daily life—a simple, accessible tool anyone can use to help create more respectful and inclusive environments.
"Ultimately, we want a cultural shift: for Filipinos to think of 'sound safety' like we think of seatbelts or traffic rules—a small act of mindfulness that can protect someone else’s well-being," said Jayme. "This is why, with so many things happening in Congress and the Senate nowadays, my team still pushed for a bill to be filed. It was tough, but we were able to do it. We want legislation. We want laws to be made on safe grounds."
For the team behind Safe Sound Check, creating work that goes beyond traditional advertising to make a genuine impact on people’s lives is always front of mind.
"That’s the heart of what we do. Campaigns like this remind us that creativity has a bigger role—it can solve, include, and humanise, says Jayme.
Safe Sound Check isn’t an ad; it’s a tool, one that Jayme and her team hope will prove that communication and design can change behavior for the better.
"If something we make helps people feel safe, understood, or even just noticed, that’s the kind of 'impact' we want to keep chasing."
