Campaigning around the world to raise awareness of autism

As you will know if you have read our special feature, we have now been supporting inclusion for people with autism for 35 years. This long-standing commitment has naturally evolved over the years, and the Orange Foundation is keen to develop this area of sponsorship in as many countries as possible. Since autism is a universal cause, we believe it is vital to support people who are striving to bolster inclusion and independence in all the countries where we operate. 
Several initiatives were launched a few weeks ago, around World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April, and we are excited to tell you a bit about them. 

We begin in Spain, where several events were held to broaden people’s understanding of autism, including the ninth conference on women and autism – a valuable way to connect people and encourage discussion by addressing topics that are close to our hearts, and to help build a fairer and more open society. The speakers included association and federation leaders, but also people with autism who came to share their personal experiences.

Another great initiative took the form of a competition to illustrate this same cause. The goal? Create original designs to illustrate World Autism Awareness Day. A selection of winning designs have been printed on the T-shirts you can see below, being worn by in-store teams!

Next, we head for Madagascar, where all Orange sites and employees adopted blue, the color associated with autism, with a triple objective:
•    Raise awareness of autism spectrum disorders  
•    Promote inclusion and diversity within the company 
•    Unite employees around human, caring values
Here are a few snapshots from some of the many activities...

Now our journey takes us to Jordan, where 2 April was marked with a big interactive workshop in Irbid to raise awareness of autism. Thirteen children with autism were invited to explore a FabLab and discover a new experience by using an interactive table designed specially to improve communication skills, social interaction and sensory development.
This inclusive, engaging initiative for the children and their caregivers was made possible through the direct support provided to the laboratory.

 

And to end our tour – which covers just a handful of the many initiatives organized in countries where the Orange Foundation operates –, we invite you to watch this compelling video from Slovakia. Creative agency Made by Vaculik ran a voluntary campaign to raise funds for children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

The Orange Foundation in Slovakia supported the campaign on its social media, and this video shows several Slovakian personalities (a former president, a singer, an actress, influencers) literally finding out how it feels to be a child with autism, by being placed in an escape room simulating their illogical world. In other words, how these children experience what we sometimes – wrongly – describe as our “normal” world. A powerful, instructive, and necessary film.