AsIAm youth leader calls for equity and inclusion for autistic community
Jasmine Allen from Mullingar, an autistic young person and member of AsIAm’s Youth Leadership Team, says the charity’s pre-budget submission for 2025 aims “to ensure autistic people like me are given the same chance in Irish society”.
The document is titled ‘Community Voices, Long Term Choices’ emphasises the urgent need for long-term decisions that will shape a more inclusive and equitable society for autistic individuals.
Speaking at the launch Jasmine said: “As a young autistic person, I have often found that society did not provide me with the same chance, and one of the reasons I joined the AsIAm Youth Leadership Team was to help in some way to bring about a change in people’s attitude to autistic people.
“That is why this upcoming budget is so important to me and my autistic friends – that government invest in the calls AsIAm made in their pre-budget submission to ensure autistic people like me are given the same chance in Irish society.”
The submission outlines 39 recommendations to the government, in four areas: education, healthcare, social protection, and employment.
It highlights the systemic barriers that continue to impede the full participation of autistic people in society.
The submission is grounded in engagement with the autistic community, drawing insights from the Same Chance Report, which represents the experiences of 1,700 autistic people and various consultations, including for the organisation’s submissions to the public consultations on the Autism Innovation Strategy and the Department of Social Protection’s Green Paper on Disability Payments.
Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, said: “As we approach Budget 2025 and a general election, it is crucial that the government take decisive actions to support the autistic community. Autistic people continue to face pervasive barriers in day-to-day life in Ireland, from receiving timely assessment and therapeutic support to accessing school, to participating in the community and securing employment.
“The barriers our community face place enormous costs on us, which in turn impact on health and wellbeing. It is critical the choices made in Budget 2025 are not short-term, one-off measures, but indicate long-term, multi-year investment in equality for autistic people and families.
“Our submission provides a roadmap for the key areas of investment and change needed to bring about change for the at least 1 in 27 people in Ireland who are autistic.
“In particular, we are asking the government to break the link between autism and poverty, invest in the soon-to-be-published autism innovation strategy and to ensure that every autistic person can access the right support at the right time.
“By targeting investment in inclusive education, disability and health services, and social protection, we can build a society where everyone has the same chance to participate in every aspect of Irish life.”
See asiam.ie.