Perth’s Bell Tower will once again be bathed in blue as Western Australia joins cities around the globe in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day, held annually on April 2.
World Autism Awareness Day is a time to celebrate people with autism spectrum disorder and to promote equality, equity and inclusion.
Research suggests that more than 115,000 people in Australia have been diagnosed with autism, with boys four times more likely to have autism than girls.
The McGowan Government is passionate about creating meaningful job opportunities for all Western Australians, including people with disability and those on the autism spectrum.
The State Disability Plan is currently being developed by the Department of Communities and will underpin all State Government activities and initiatives that support and empower people with disability over the coming decade.
The aim of the plan is to change the conversation around disability, and its development involves extensive consultation with people with disability, their families and carers, support networks, service providers, State and local governments and advocacy groups.
For more information, visit the State Disability Plan website.
As stated by Disability Services Minister Stephen Dawson:
“World Autism Awareness Day is a time to celebrate people with autism spectrum disorder and deepen our understanding of the values of diversity.
“Just over 40 per cent of people with ASD in Australia are employed.
“Compare this with 53.4 per cent of working age people with disability and 83.2 per cent of people without disability and it’s clear we still have a lot of work to do.
“One of my priorities as Minister is to improve employment outcomes for people with disability.
“Development of the State Disability Plan is underway to help us create more inclusive communities and improve the accessibility of government services, systems and infrastructure for all Western Australians with disability.”
