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STORY: UN / WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
TRT: 01:32
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 31 MARCH 2017, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
31 MARCH 2017, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, ECOSOC chamber
3. Wide shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Cristina Gallach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information:
“On this World Autism Awareness Day, let us play a part in changing attitudes towards persons with autism and in recognizing their rights as citizens who, like everyone else, are entitled to claim those rights and make decisions for their lives according to their own will and preferences.”
5. Various shots, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge:
“What kind of a world is it where half of adults with autism report they stay home because of fear of being abused in some way. Individuals with intellectual disability, including those with autism, are three times more likely to be victims of abuse or neglect, robbery or assault. So, on this first human right, the right to dignity, as civilized nations we are failing to protect the rights of people with autism.”
7. Various shots, moment of silence for people with autism who have died by suicide
Ahead of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement today (31 March), calling for a change of attitude towards persons with autism “and in recognizing their rights as citizens.”
The statement read at a special event at UN Headquarters in NY by Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Cristina Gallach, said that “like everyone else” people in the autism spectrum “are entitled to claim those rights and make decisions for their lives according to their own will and preferences.”
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to independence of person and to individual autonomy. Moreover, the CRPD highlights the right of persons with disabilities to "legal capacity on an equal basis with others and in all aspects of life."
Simon Baron-Cohen, who is the Director of autism research at the University of Cambridge, told the meeting that “individuals with intellectual disability, including those with autism, are three times more likely to be victims of abuse or neglect, robbery or assault.”
Baron-Cohen said that “on this first human right, the right to dignity, as civilized nations we are failing to protect the rights of people with autism.”
The WAAD observance, on 31 March 2017, will discuss policies and approaches being implemented with regard to guardianship and the path to self-determination and legal capacity of persons with autism.
