Leading autism organisation Amaze was recognised for its vital education work at the 2022 Victorian Disability Awards.
Amaze was awarded for its Change Your Reactions education campaign in the category of excellence in creating inclusive communities. The award was received as equal category winners with Lance Nilsson of Doncaster All Abilities Basketball.
Change Your Reactions, the first social behaviour change campaign to promote the understanding and inclusion of autistic people in Australia seeks to bridge this gap.
“The aim of the campaign was always to give the wider community a better understanding of how Autistic people experience the world and how the impact of the reactions of those around them can either hurt, or help.” said Amaze CEO Jim Mullan
Research found that while around 90 per cent of Australians know someone with autism, only 29 per cent know how to support an Autistic person.
With 40 per cent disclosing that sometimes they struggle to leave the house because they are afraid of being subjected to discriminatory or negative behaviour in the community, indicates a significant gap between the community being aware of autism and creating an autism-friendly community.
“The aim of the campaign was always to give the wider community a better understanding of how Autistic people experience the world and how the impact of the reactions of those around them can either hurt, or help.” said Amaze CEO Jim Mullan
Amaze created the campaign in consultation with Autistic people and is portrayed by Autistic actors. It is an Australian-first education campaign that includes a mix of advertising across regional and metropolitan television, print, radio, digital, and social media and It encourages Australians to take steps to create a more inclusive community that understands, accepts, and engages positively with Autistic people.