Individuals with autism walk for acceptance, a move for more inclusion in society
Telegraph | 3 April 2025
Awareness about autism should go beyond just recognising that it exists. It is about understanding individuals with autism and their parents, their needs and promoting inclusion and acceptance.
On World Autism Awareness Day (April 2), parents and those working with individuals with autism took to public spaces, auditoriums and social media to advocate for more acceptance and inclusion in a society that still has a long way to go.
A mother who lives in Lake Town and runs an organisation went to Jadavpur University to distribute pamphlets that said: “Autism is a lifelong condition, not a disease that can be cured.”
Another one posted on her social media page a photo of her 14-year-old son and said: “My son with autism. He is not a special child. Yes, he has some special needs... Accept him the way he is... Kindly do not whisper behind his back. Do not stare at him like that. Allow him to grow and live his life freely.”
Namita Somani, who runs an organisation for individuals with special needs, said it was not enough for society to know that autism exists.
“They need to understand what autism is, how it impacts individuals and what their behaviour should be towards those with autism. Awareness is about understanding what these individuals go through and why they are behaving in a certain way,” said Somani of Amrit Somani Memorial Centre.
She said that during outreach programmes at malls, they had seen people walking away saying that it does not impact them.
Many parents of individuals with autism are reluctant to go to a public place because of the fear of being stared at or treated with sympathy.
“You have to accept our children as they are. Academic performance cannot be a yardstick for all things,” said Sunanda Singha Das, whose son is 14.
She has often overheard people say “such a handsome boy, but he is not normal”.
There are many like her.
“When parents go out with their younger children, there is still some degree of acceptance. But when they are older, the attitude of people around changes and increasingly becomes more exclusive,” said Sumitra Paul Bakshi of DWish, another NGO that works with people with autism.
The organisation held an autism awareness walk in Lake Town on Wednesday.
At the Lake Town-VIP Road crossing, they put up a screen with a video that explained how autism impacts individuals.
“We distributed pamphlets at Jadavpur University and spoke to the students there about autism. If we catch them young, we will be able to make them understand the point of view of a person with autism,” said Paul Bakshi.
Indrani Basu of the Autism Society West Bengal said acceptance will be a reality when schools and workplaces become more inclusive.