ED: For a kinder, more inclusive world

Yesterday was Autism Awareness Day, a day that the aims to “increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, foster worldwide support, and inspire a kinder, more inclusive world.”

For Bangladesh, raising awareness regarding people with autism is especially important, considering the stigma which society still habours towards them, leading to systemic negligence which only serves to disempower them further.

When it comes to autism, it is tragic that not enough has been done to create a more inclusive system that caters to their needs, and that many still do not understand that people with autism are capable in ways that are different -- people with autism can, in fact, become highly productive of society.

We must learn to understand that all brains are different, and autism is part of that diversity, a diversity that will only enrich and benefit society.

And in order to achieve this, we must respect their needs and allow them a seat at the table, providing them with the opportunity to contribute to the conversation and bring their different and unique perspectives to the fore, resulting in a society that is not only more inclusive, but also uses that inclusivity to propel itself upward.

Bangladesh’s great economic progress over the last decade has meant that we are now more capable than we have ever been before, providing us with the opportunity to cater to the needs of people with autism a little better than before.

And that is what a developed nation does at the end of the day -- take steps and build infrastructure in order to take care all its citizens, neurotypical or not.