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Policy call, Autistic Pride Day Symposium 2024
A speaker asked why Australia lacked an autism strategy like Ireland’s
In short
At the 2024 Autistic Pride Day Symposium in Sydney, one speaker pointed to an Irish strategy as a model, a panellist welcomed Australia’s draft autism strategy, and another argued change also happens one person at a time.
Read it instead, 4 minutesThe transcript
The story
A speaker on the first Sydney panel of the 2024 Autistic Pride Day Symposium came back to an idea already raised in Melbourne the day before, with an apology to anyone who had heard it there. Asked by the facilitator, Dr Judy Tang, how to cultivate a more neurodiverse and inclusive society, the speaker said the answer had to include lobbying government and having initiatives such as Autistic Pride Day itself. The speaker put the reason bluntly: “it’s a capitalist society and funding needs to come with that.”
The example came from Ireland. The speaker had seen a strategy there, described as an innovation strategy for autistic people. One of its aims, in the speaker’s account, was to make sure that all public libraries had sensory spaces. The speaker asked why Australia, Sydney, Melbourne and the other states did not have a strategy of that kind to make society more neuro affirming. The speaker valued the Irish approach for acknowledging that autistic people are part of the population and asking what could be done to make things work for everyone. When something is made good for one group, the speaker argued, everyone benefits.
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Sources the story draws on
- Simon Harris, Minister Roderic O'Gorman, and Minister Anne Rabbitte announce publication of the Autism Innovation Strategy (opens in a new tab), Government of Ireland (gov.ie), Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Minister Ring announces investment of €800,000 to support the provision of sensory facilities and equipment in public libraries (opens in a new tab), Government of Ireland (gov.ie), Department of Rural and Community Development
- Release of the National Autism Strategy 2025 to 2031 (opens in a new tab), Australian Government Department of Social Services
- National Autism Strategy 2025 to 2031 (opens in a new tab), Australian Government (health.gov.au publication page)
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