World Autism DayKingwood is part of both a local, national and international campaign to champion the rights of people with autism. In particular, our work demonstrates how much better the lives of people with autism can be if they are given an opportunity to participate in, and contribute to, the communities in which they live. As part of this campaign Kingwood supports World Autism Awareness Day organised by the United Nations as a focus for creating greater understanding about autism and to remind governments and communities to meet their obligations and responsibilities to ensure every one of their citizens is provided with the right support and full membership of an inclusive society. World Autism Awareness Day takes place on the 2nd April every year and to mark the occasion for 2011, Kingwood contributed to the development and circulation of a national survey to better understand attitudes to autism and more importantly how people delivering services, whether in the public or private sector, could adapt those service to make them more appropriate for people with autism. The survey had an excellent response and the findings are outlined in the documents below. Kingwood will continue to support World Autism Awareness day as a global event which encompasses a wide range of activities including panel discussions, conferences and informal events for parents and children with autism. The event receives widespread support from the media and is an excellent opportunity to increase public awareness about autism and the impact this has on the lives of the individuals concerned and their families. See the UK World Autism Awareness Day website. World Autism Awareness Day 2011 – Survey ResultsThis major public survey was commissioned by 36 UK based autism charities and focused on those who provide common everyday services. The information obtained explores how these services could be made more accessible and less daunting for children and adults with autism. Key sectors targeted throughout the UK included - healthcare, education, social care, criminal justice, employment, transport, personal services, leisure services and retail. The survey reveals some important findings which highlight that services can be improved as much by introducing small, bottom-up, changes driven by those with good knowledge and understanding of the needs of people with autism, as by top-down policy initiatives. It was not easy to secure the resource needed to complete this work during what is a difficult time for all autism charities, so we are extremely grateful to all those who have given their support and encouragement to see this work through to completion. We trust you will find the information interesting and useful and should you wish to discuss the survey further, please refer to the contacts listed within the press release. Download Press Release
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