ACTION in Autism (AiA) has announced a month-long programme of advocacy, community events, and workplace initiatives to mark World Autism Acceptance Month this April, reinforcing the global call: “Nothing about us, without us.”

The organisation’s campaign focuses on raising awareness, promoting inclusion, and advancing the rights of autistic individuals and their families through a series of public events and targeted interventions.

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A key highlight is the Pizza and Paint and Sensory Day scheduled for April 18 at the Action in Autism Centre in Parkhill.

The event will bring together members of the autism community to create posters and banners ahead of a planned silent walk later in the month.

Attendees are encouraged to share a meal while children and young adults participate in sensory-friendly activities, including a foam pit, trampoline, and interactive visual and auditory experiences.

A guest speaker will also address employment rights for autistic individuals. The event is free and open to the autism community.

On April 23, AiA will host a Silent Walk from Gugu Dlamini Park to City Hall, inviting the broader public to show solidarity with non-speaking and partially speaking autistic individuals.

Participants will communicate without spoken language, instead using gestures, writing, and sign language.

“Approximately 50% of autistic people are non-speaking, so this walk is a powerful way to foster understanding and inclusion,” said AiA Director Diane Mariah-Singh. She added that the demonstration will culminate in the handover of a memorandum of demands to the city’s mayor by neurodivergent advocates, including Yolanda Ziqubu and Prashant Parsunath.

In addition to public events, AiA will run empowerment and capacity-building workshops throughout April, engaging both private and public sector organisations. These sessions aim to encourage inclusive hiring practices and highlight the benefits of integrating autistic individuals into the workforce.

The initiative builds on AiA’s Skills Development and Business Hub, a programme established three years ago to equip autistic individuals with employable skills or support them in launching micro-enterprises.

“There are too few autistic people employed, and government is not meeting its 7% employment target for persons with disabilities. This needs to change,” said Mariah-Singh.

For more information contact 031 563 3039 or email aiadirector@actioninautism.org.za  to partner with AiA for any or all of these initiatives.

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