Press release
Minister Rabbitte marks World Autism Awareness Day and World Autism Month
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
Minister Rabbitte today welcomed this year’s World Autism Awareness Day 2022, and the beginning of this year’s World Autism Month.
On 18 December 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 62/139, declaring that 2 April of each year will mark World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), noting the prevalence and high rate of Autism in Children in all regions of the world and the consequential developmental challenges.
Today gives us an opportunity to draw awareness to the particular challenges faced by people who are autistic and who are neurodiverse, but also to focus on, and recognise the many unique contributions to Irish society made by people with autism, whether in Ireland or around the world. This focus will be maintained throughout April, which is World Autism Month, during which the Minister is encouraging awareness raising around autism and neurodiversity, and will seek to spotlight the lived experience of autistic citizens.
During World Autism Month the Minister will launch the Autism Innovation Strategy Consultation process. Minister Rabbitte will also invite Expressions of Interest to establish a stakeholder-led Strategy Oversight and Advisory Group which will monitor the implementation of the Strategy, once adopted, which she will chair.
Improving disability services and the inclusion of people with disabilities in all parts of Irish life is a commitment in the Programme for Government and raising public awareness, discourse and developing policy around neurodiversity is a priority action.
In line with Ireland’s commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the development and implementation of the Autism Innovation Strategy will be an inclusive process, ensuring that people with autism and neurodiversity are given the opportunity to participate in the development of the Strategy from inception to launch, and thereafter to be involved in monitoring the Strategy’s implementation and progress.
Welcoming the start of World Autism Month 2022, Minister Rabbitte said:
“I am delighted to celebrate this year’s World Autism Awareness Day, and to welcome this year’s World Autism Month. Autism and neurodiversity can be poorly understood in Ireland and around the world and today is so important is raising awareness around what it means to have autism or neurodiversity. We are learning all the time here and I am determined to put Ireland at the forefront of that process.
"I recognise that people with autism and neurodiversity in Ireland today face significant challenges and that there are barriers to overcome. I am committed to ensuring that Government responds to and addresses these challenges effectively and efficiently.
"But I also want to celebrate our autistic and our neurodiverse citizens and their incredible contribution to Irish life.
"On World Autism Awareness Day 2021, I was delighted to announce my intention to develop the Autism Innovation Strategy. Since then, I have been committed to ensuring that the Autism Innovation Strategy is developed in an inclusive way, and in a manner that supports the participation of the very communities of people across Ireland that the Strategy is intended to support.
"Later in this World Autism Month I will launch a consultation process to inform the design of the Autism Awareness Strategy and the actions that we pursue thereunder. I will also seek expressions of interest for an Implementation and Oversight Group for the Strategy, which I intend to be majority neurodiverse.
"I would encourage everyone who can to get involved in the awareness raising and support activities that will be taking place this month, and to help celebrate and support our neurodiverse citizens as much as possible."
Any questions regarding the Autism Innovation Strategy development process, or the upcoming consultation and Expression of Interest process should be sent to Autism_Strategy@equality.gov.ie
Action on autism is a commitment in the Programme for Government.
Consultation with persons with disabilities is a clear requirement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted in 2006. Ireland signed the Convention in 2007 and ratified the Convention in 2018.
The purpose of the Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.