World Autism Awareness Day Observance at Headquarters Focuses on Ways 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda Can Improve Lives
The 2016 observance of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), 2 April, at the United Nations will look ahead to 2030 and reflect on the new Sustainable Development Goals and their implications for improving the lives of people with autism. The event, titled “Autism and the 2030 Agenda: Inclusion and Neurodiversity”, will take place on Friday, 1 April, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at United Nations Headquarters.
Steve Silberman, award-winning science writer and author of the widely-praised international bestseller Neuro Tribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, will make keynote remarks.
The United Nations has emphasized the need to mainstream disability, as part of the human experience that contributes to human diversity, in the Organization’s development agenda.
“The equal participation and active involvement of persons with autism will be essential for achieving the inclusive societies envisioned by the Sustainable Development Goals,” said the Secretary-General in his message for the Day. “The rights, perspectives and well-being of people with autism, and all persons with disabilities, are integral to the 2030 Agenda and its commitment to leave no one behind.”
Through a series of moderated discussions, the event will focus on the Sustainable Development Goals that make explicit reference to the importance of incorporating the needs and views of persons with disabilities.
The event is organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information and Department of Economic and Social Affairs and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ecuador, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan and Poland.
The full programme and list of speakers are available at http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/2016/events.
For further information, contact Jon Herbertsson, United Nations Department of Public Information, at e-mail: herbertsson@un.org or tel.: +1 212 963 7346.