Thousands of iconic buildings and monuments across Spain and the rest of the world will once again be lit up in blue this Tuesday, April 2, for World Autism Awareness Day, as a show of support and solidarity for this community.
The United Nations established April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness about individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families and promote the effective exercise of their rights.
That’s why the advocacy movement is once again joining the international awareness campaign ‘Light It Up Blue,’ in which buildings and monuments from around the world participate. They encourage sharing photos of the buildings and monuments illuminated in blue on social media with the hashtags #LightItUpBlue #LIUB #WorldAutismDay.
In 2024, nearly 500 buildings and monuments in Spain, both public and private, participated in this initiative. To date, there are about 300 confirmed participating buildings and monuments, as reported by the initiative’s promoters.
On this occasion, Autism Spain, in collaboration with the autism advocacy movement in the country, has launched a campaign with the slogan ‘We Are Infinite,’ aiming to raise awareness among the public that autism comes in infinite forms, meaning that no two individuals with autism are alike.
They emphasize that each person on the spectrum needs specialized support tailored to their situation and life stage to improve their development and well-being, and promote their social participation. They have released a video featuring Vanessa, José Luis, Sandra, and Juan José, unique individuals with their own needs but with one thing in common: they are all autistic.
The organization calls for the collaboration and commitment of public administrations because, as they denounce, the lack of resources or the precarious provision of these services compromise the quality of life of individuals with autism and their families, hindering their access to early diagnosis and early intervention, quality education, employment, independent living, and therefore the full exercise of their rights.
EVERY PERSON WITH AUTISM IS UNIQUE
Plena Inclusión Madrid has also launched a campaign to showcase the diversity of these individuals, featuring influencer Noemí Navarro conversing with three individuals with autism of different ages: Dani, Ana, and Eva. They share their daily lives, their views on autism, and the issues that interest them the most, such as their aspirations for the future, the society they want to live in, and how to access inclusive leisure and employment.
Under the slogan ‘Autism in First Person,’ the discussion highlights that «every person with autism is unique.» Alongside the video, the federation is reissuing ‘One Spectrum, Infinite Shades,’ a campaign with creative materials and posters on outdoor displays where a range of colors represents the variety of interests and personalities within the autism spectrum. The initiative is supported by Metro de Madrid, EMT Madrid, and Fundación Parques Reunidos.
Additionally, on Sunday, March 30, Plena Inclusión Madrid will celebrate, for the sixth consecutive year, along with Parque Warner Madrid and Fundación Parques Reunidos, a leisure and awareness event for individuals with ASD and their families from the advocacy movement.
In Spain, it is estimated that there are around 500,000 people with autism, each with diverse realities and needs. Despite this high prevalence (1 in every 100 births, according to figures from Autism Europe), autism remains largely unknown to much of the public, and individuals on the spectrum do not have their rights guaranteed.