World Autism Awareness Day 2025; April 2nd.

FORUM: "Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" World Autism Awareness Day 2025. The observance highlights the intersection between neurodiversity and global sustainability efforts, showcasing how inclusive policies and practices can drive positive change for autistic individuals worldwide and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Join us for a timely discussion on ways to ensure equitable access to essential technologies for individuals on the autism spectrum. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #EveryoneIncluded, #2April, #worldAutismAwarenessDay, #WAAD, #autismspectrum.

EVENTS: On Wednesday, April 2nd from 10:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT, the international community will gather to commemorate the World Autism Awareness Day 2025, under the theme "Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)",. Bringing together global experts, policymakers, and autistic voices, the event features keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, addressing areas such as inclusive healthcare, education, employment, and urban development. This year’s discussion will explore the role of neurodiversity in shaping policies that promote accessibility, equality, and innovation across multiple sectors. Discussions focus on inclusive healthcare, quality education, workplace accessibility, reducing inequalities, and designing autism-friendly cities and communities. The 2025 WAAD event is organized by the Institute of Neurodiversity (ION), with the support of the United Nations Department of Global Communications. ION is a neuro minority-founded and led global membership organization headquartered in Switzerland, with a presence in 40 countries worldwide. As the largest, most globally represented neurodiversity initiative, ION works to empower neuro-minorities, advocate for equal opportunities, and promote acceptance and education. By fostering dialogue and collaboration across multiple sectors, World Autism Awareness Day 2025 will reinforce the need for sustained efforts to eliminate barriers, promote inclusive policies, and recognize the contributions of autistic individuals to society and the achievement of the SDGs. Register to participate!

(Opening) Autism Awareness Day 2025- Advancing Autism Awareness and the SDGs.

(Part 1) Autism Awareness Day 2025- Advancing Neurodiversity & the SDGs.

(Part 2) Autism Awareness Day 2025- Advancing Neurodiversity & the SDGs.

(Part 3) Autism Awareness Day 2025- Advancing Neurodiversity & the SDGs.

World Autism Awareness Day 2023; April 2nd.

FORUM:"Transformation: Toward a Neuro-Inclusive." World for All.World Autism Awareness Day 2023.

This year's observance focuses on the contribution of autistic people at home, at work, in the arts and in policymaking. Autistic people do, nevertheless, still face discrimination and other challenges. As with all populations, autistic people have a wide range of talents and challenges that are often not recognized by the world they are born into. In addition, the levels of awareness and acceptance vary dramatically from country to country. We must also recognize that autistic people are especially vulnerable to the major upheavals to routines and daily lives that we witness all around us, such as pandemics, wars and natural disasters. 

Follow the conversations with the hastags: #WAAD2023, #WorldAutismAwarenessDay, #2April.

Statement by the U.N. Secretary-General on World Autism Awareness Day 2023; April 2nd.

On World Autism Awareness Day, we celebrate the contributions of persons with autism and renew our resolve to advance their inherent rights.

Despite important progress, persons with autism continue to face social and environmental barriers to the full exercise of their rights and fundamental freedoms, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We must do better – by promoting inclusive education, equal employment opportunities, self-determination, and an environment where every person is respected. And as we do so, we also recognize the role of families, caregivers, and support networks in the lives of persons with autism.

Today and every day, let us fully recognize the active and diverse contributions of persons with autism to our societies – and let us work together with persons with autism to build an inclusive and accessible world for all.

U.N. Secretary-General.

EVENTS

WEBINAR: Transformation: Toward a Neuro-Inclusive World for All.
Virtual Event: Sunday, 2 April 2023, 10:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. EST.


The event is organized in close collaboration with autistic people and will feature autistic people from around the world discussing how the transformation in the narrative around neurodiversity can continue to be furthered in order to overcome barriers and improve the lives of autistic people. It will also address the contributions that autistic people make – and can make – to society, and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The World Autism Awareness Day 2023 observance is organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications and Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of Neurodiversity (ION), an organization established and run by neurodivergent people for neurodivergent people and allies. ION is based in Switzerland and currently has a presence in 14 countries. ION is working to help create a world where neurodivergent individuals feel accepted, represented, included, empowered and heard.

The event will be streamed on the UN’s YouTube and Twitter channels, and on UN WebTV.
Register | Programme | Save the date

World Autism Awareness Day 2022; April 1st.

FORUM: “Inclusion in the Workplace” World Autism Awareness Day 2022.

The theme of inclusive education is intrinsically linked with the focus of last year’s WAAD observance, “Inclusion in the Workplace”. Panelists in last year’s event emphasized how crucial it is to foster inclusive quality education for people on the autism spectrum so that they can fulfill their potential and achieve sustainable success in the labour market. In this respect, inclusive education is the key to the transformative promise of the Sustainable Development Goals, to LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND.

EVENTS: Organized by the UN Department of Global Communications and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with the support of civil society partners including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the Global Autism Project and the Specialisterne Foundation.

Statement by the U.N. Secretary-General on World Autism Awareness Day 2022; April 1st.

The United Nations supports the rights of persons with autism to fully participate in society, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In its pledge to leave no one behind, the 2030 Agenda represents a commitment to reducing inequality through social, economic and political inclusion for all people, including persons with disabilities. Yet many persons with autism still live in isolation, discriminated against and disconnected from their communities, in institutions or even in their own homes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many of these inequalities through the loss or reduction of services at school, in homes and in the community. We need to ensure that the rights, perspectives and well-being of persons with disabilities, including those with autism, are an integral part of building forward better from the pandemic.

The solution lies in more community-based support systems for persons with autism. We must also establish inclusive education systems and training programmes that enable students with autism to access the educational path of their choice. And we must make technology solutions available for persons with autism to live independently in their communities. Active consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations should be at the centre of these efforts.

On this World Autism Awareness Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to an inclusive, equitable and sustainable world for persons with autism.

— António Guterres.

WEBINARS