Israel President hosts inclusivity themed awareness event

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President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin on Sunday 24 March / 17 Adar II, hosted an event at Beit HaNasi for the first time to mark World Autism Awareness Day, which falls each year on April 2. Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, children and adults on the autism spectrum and representatives of various NGOs also participated in the event.

During the event, 11-year old Roi Mor, who was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum at the age of a year and a half, performed an original composition called ‘Harmony’. Roi has exceptional musical talents and he composed this piece at the age of 10. There was also an exhibition of works by artists on the autism spectrum from three different shows: ‘A Bridge to the World’ at the ALUT center in Jerusalem; ‘Out of the Bubble – Autism: Not What You Thought’ by Tali Kagan, mother of Idan; and ‘In My Own Way’ by the artist Nevo Afek.

The president added, “we must make our world accessible to them, and their world accessible to us. This is transparent accessibility. Accessibility that mostly happens through inter-personal communication, in the ability to be part of the community and for places of work and entertainment to understand what this means.”

“Integration of children and adults with autism in society is a task of the highest priority which every one of us can and must engage with,” said the president, adding “and in order to do this, we must acknowledge first and foremost. We need to go beyond what is familiar and to try and meet these dear people who are hidden under the name ‘autism’. To want to do a little more for them, and certainly not to use that name as a term of abuse.”