World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) is on Tuesday 2 April 2024. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness of autism and to recognise and celebrate the contributions of Autistic people.
Marking the beginning of World Autism Month in April, WAAD is an internationally recognised United Nations (UN) day of observance.
About autism
Around one in 100 Australians is autistic, with many undiagnosed. Autistic people are our family members, friends, colleagues and neighbours.
Autism affects the way individuals interact with others and how they experience the world around them.
Autistic people differ greatly in their characteristics, needs and experiences – each person has unique strengths and challenges.
An inclusive Victoria
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing leads work to create an inclusive Victoria where Autistic people enjoy lives with real opportunities for choice, participation and contribution within our community.
The Victorian Autism Plan and its 2023 refresh are a key part of this vision. The 2023 refresh responds to key priority areas identified by Autistic Victorians and the Autistic community.
This includes making sure:
- We can help people sooner by finding out about them early and connecting them to the right supports
- Autistic people do not miss out on health and mental health supports
- Autistic people do not miss out on education and finding a job
- We have better data and research.
Autism-inclusive workplaces
A key part of the Victorian Autism Plan is the Amaze Change Your Reactions campaign, which shows how small changes to our behaviour can help create a more inclusive and welcoming world for Autistic people.
The latest phase of the campaign, Autism friendly workplaces work for everyone, shows how employing Autistic people adds value to every workplace, and the ways making autism-friendly changes to a workplace can benefit everyone.
To learn how you can make your workplace Autism friendly, visit the Amaze Autism friendly workplaces work for everyone web page.