This week saw the first World Autism Day on Wednesday April 2nd. This date will be recognised globally with The United Nations General Assembly being behind the decision to grant those with autism, their friends, family and care workers this day to help increase the awareness of this disorder.
Autism is often associated with children, but is a lifelong disorder, effecting people from all backgrounds, and is more common than most people think. There are over half a million people in the UK alone with autism-that’s 1 in 100 people, with approximately 60 million people worldwide.
This day has also lead to The National Autistic Society launching their petition calling on the UK government to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This petition was part of their think differently about autism campaign.
This campaign is focused on adults with autism, following research highlighting that adults with autism and their care workers are most isolated and ignored in comparison to other individuals in the care industry. I Exist aims to transform lives by campaigning for better support and services for adults with autism.