As World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) approaches, in accordance with its members, Autism-Europe is launching the second phase of its European-wide campaign “Break barriers together for autism – Let’s build an accessible society”.
You have the opportunity to join in this second phase and build on the success of 2017, by using the campaign materials that can easily be adapted to your priorities and events to foster a barrier-free and autism-friendly society. We therefore count on your support to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day 2018!
To make a success of this second wave of the campaign, AE is calling on its network to join forces and resources to continue developing a powerful European campaign.
Campaign’s video produced in partnership with Autismo España.
How can you help?
- Write what accessibility barriers you consider autistic people face on a banner /piece of paper. The banner should read “A barrier to accessibility for me is…” followed by the biggest barrier(s) you face
- Break a hole through it, or rip it up
- Make a video or a GIF of yourself doing this
- OR take a picture of yourself doing this
- Share it on social media using the #AutismDay2018 hashtag
- You can also send it to AE Secretariat to have more visibility
OR simply…
- Take a picture of yourself holding the campaign’s banner
- Share it on social media using the #AutismDay2018 hashtag
Download the campaign’s banner (available in 15 different languages)
Download other updated campaign materials for 2018 (available in English, French and German)
Download here the campaign toolkit (also valid in 2018)
Get inspired! Check out some key moments of the campaign in 2017
Activities planned by Autism-Europe
On April 2, AE will launch a short publication presenting testimonies on the lived experience and needs of autistic people and their families to live in a barrier-free society and fully enjoy their rights.
From April 9-11 2018, AE organises a photography exhibition hosted by Member of the European Parliament, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut. The President of European Parliament Antonio Tajani and other EU policy makers will attend and give political momentum to this second phase of the campaign.
About the campaign
Reach and impact of the campaign in figures (as of May 2017):
- At least 12 countries supported in some way the campaign so far;
- campaign materials have been translated in at least 15 different languages;
- EU commissioner Ms Thyssen and 14 MEPs from 10 different countriessupported the campaign;
- At least 25 different countries (including non-European countries such as USA, Nigeria, India or Venezuela) made reference to the campaign online;
- The video of the campaign had more than 90k views on different social media channels;
- Over 150 references in the media about the AE’s WAAD campaign 2017 in total. Reference from at least 25 different countries (including non-European countries such as USA, Nigera, India or Venezuela);
- More than 120 people participated in the opening of our photography exhibition at the European Economic and Social Committee organised in the framework of the campaign;
- 354K social media reach with Thunderclap (free version).