Autism Awareness Month in Australia

by Katharine Annear · 2009-05-20 10:06:00 UTC
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[Ed. The U.S. hasn't always done so well at autism or disability "awareness", but what about other countries? Katharine our guest blogger from Australia gives the scoop--]

a street sign the top half which pictures a car on the left with an arrow pointing up and a car on the right with an arrow pointing down. the bottom half contains the words 'DRIVE ON LEFT IN AUSTRALIA'. in the background is blue sky low grassy hills a silver sedan on curved road, and a sandy shoulder into whiich the sign in the foreground is propped.May is Autism Awareness month in Australia. One of the most prominent autism organizations in Australia is Aspect. Aspect is a state based organization with national aspirations. This month they have launched a new website with a new community service announcement asking us to “Imagine a lifetime with autism…” Whilst I can’t imagine my lifetime without autism I am struggling to imagine how the general public will come to understand autism after watching this CSA. The CSA offers no real insight into ASD and offers no suggestions as to how the community can even begin to accept people with ASD. Taken literally this CSA may even lead Joe Public to believe that people with autism can’t see or hear. So why is Aspect so out of touch? Local Autistic people think in part it may be because Aspect doesn’t have Autistic representation on their Board of Directors. They are concerned that although well qualified potential Autistic Board members exist the Aspect Board seems to be a closed shop, with an all male old-boys club style membership. Aspect will later in the year host the Asia Pacific Autism Conference and a look at their keynote speakers reveals only one person on the autism spectrum deemed worthy of being invited to keynote. Not sure that Autism Queensland is quite on the money either with their Dress Differently Day – not much of a step away from a South Australian school’s dress as a disabled person day!

Is this the way Australia is when it comes to autism - people on the spectrum left out in the cold?

Well thankfully not! Visit auties.org and you’ll find an autism run employment and social networking site. There is also Alpha Autism with Autistic Management Committee members running an innovative fundraising and awareness campaign Drawtism. What I like about Drawtism is that is closer to getting it right - some awareness raising, community building, fun and not demeaning. Still a ways to go but I think that it shows that Autistic representation at a management level helps steer the ship closer to the way things should be for our communities.

Katharine Annear
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