Australia will implement a new autism strategy to reform healthcare, education, and employment, becoming the first country in the world to actively work towards creating a “whole-of-life plan for all autistic Australians.”
The National Autism Strategy is “hugely significant,” states Clare Gibellini, an autistic advocate. “This is the first step in a longer journey towards better lives for autistic people.”
In 2023, the federal government created an Office for Autism to improve autism awareness. According to Australia’s first assistant minister for autism, South Australian politician Emily Bourke, “the autistic community have done lots of research into this and found 84% of people know the word autism, but only 29% know about autism. These were concerning statistics to us.” The autism strategy will boost the understanding among critical professions and the wider community, make education and employment more accessible, and provide better support for families. To that effect, teachers and people in service roles would be upskilled, and workplace recruitment processes would be improved. Australia’s vision features more autistic faces in sports and media and caters to the sensory differences autistic people experience in public spaces and transport.
