Breaking the Barrier:Walking for autism
April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. It's also the day that I set off on my walk from Dover to Lands End to raise awareness of autism and funds for two charities: Lifeworks SurfAble and the RNLI. My walk will take me along the southern coast of the UK and my chosen charities both have strong connections with the coast and the sea. You can make donations to these charities through my Just Giving page or by contacting the charities directly.
www.justgiving.com/Sara-Lyons
www.lifeworks-uk.org/saraswalk.html
Facebook: Breaking the Barrier 2010
Lifeworks SurfAble provides free surfing lessons for children with learning disabilities and their families. The charity is based in Devon but their surfing days also take place in Kent and Bournemouth. You can find out more at www.lifeworks-uk.org
The RNLI is a national charity providing a 24 hour lifesaving service throughout the UK. Their lifeguard service provides safe, supervised beaches for families and a range of community education programmes help to teach children about beach safety www.rnli.org.uk
What do you know about autism?
- Over half a million people in the UK have an autism spectrum disorder.
- Many adults with autism struggle to find and retain jobs even though they want to work.
- Most people with autism want to have friends but don't know how to make or keep friendships.
- Many adults with autism suffer from additional difficulties including anxiety and depression.
- The Autism Act 2009 is the first ever disability-specific law in England.
