On World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, Autism-Europe launched a campaign calling on European leaders to promote inclusion of people with autism in all aspects of life. Sometimes discrimination is obvious, like when a child is denied access to school. Other times it’s less obvious, like when adults with autism do not have the support they need due to lack of public funding.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with autism have the right to freedom from discrimination and the right to be included in their communities. They also have the right to assistance in education, employment as well as other forms of support. Most countries in Europe also have laws to prevent discrimination and support people with disabilities. For rights and laws to make a difference, however, they must be translated into concrete actions.
Autism-Europe is calling on everyone to help us ask decision-makers across Europe to become more aware of autism and take action to prevent discrimination and promote inclusion.