Autism community is full of elevator fans

Andrew Reams says he isn’t “normal.” And he’s OK with that. In fact, he celebrates his autism, which has probably helped him find his purpose in life.

When Andrew was younger, he was obsessed with elevators, which are still a big part of his life. Now, though, he’s somewhat of a celebrity in the elevator fan world.

Andrew’s favorite elevator as a child was at the Marriot Marquis in Atlanta. He got hired by Norfolk Southern Railway in 2007. Their training center is in Atlanta, and Andrew stopped by the hotel to take a video. He posted his first elevator video on YouTube in 2007. Today, he has almost 100,000 followers.

Andrew’s videos along with the vibrant elevator fan community they cater to caught the attention of Sasha Bailey, Senior Director of Communications. She was inspired by Andrew’s passion for elevators and how he often used his platform to make sure kids were not doing anything unsafe as they made their own videos. She and Andrew began to work together to reach out to kids (often on the autism spectrum) who were behaving unsafely — trying to get into machine rooms or opening elevator doors — in their videos. All of this work eventually led to the creation of the Safety Ambassador’s Club, a program to teach kids how to safely ride elevators and escalators.

He estimates 60 to 70 percent of his followers are children or young adults with autism. Over the years, they have grown into more than just his followers – many of them are his friends. He meets a lot of them in person to talk elevators, take rides on their favorites and share their collections of elevator parts. As part of his outreach, he also opened a small elevator museum in Roanoke, Va., where he displays all of the elevator parts he has collected over the years.

“The elevator videos are really just a vehicle to connect me to parents who have developmentally delayed children,” Andrew said. “The big things these parents tell me is that my story gives them hope that their kid can lead a normal and productive life. I don’t like to use the word disability. I like to use the word difference. Any type of difference doesn’t mean you can’t lead a happy and productive life.”

Andrew says TKE is one of the best out there at connecting with elevator fans. Kids who contact local branches are welcomed with open arms and often with packages of elevator parts, such as buttons and operating panels.

“TKE actually takes the time to connect with people that love elevators,” he said.

If you or someone you know is an elevator fan, be sure to check out our Safety Ambassador program!