BRAZIL/MEXICO: Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue and several Mexico City landmarks are lit up with blue lights for World Autism Awareness Day

Record ID: 306110

  • Title: BRAZIL/MEXICO: Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue and several Mexico City landmarks are lit up with blue lights for World Autism Awareness Day
  • Date: 3rd April 2013
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (APRIL 02, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RIO DE JANEIRO VARIOUS OF RIO'S RODRIGO DE FREITAS LAGOON AREA WITH CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE IN BACKGROUND CHRIST THE REDEEMER LIT UP WITH BLUE LIGHTS RODRIGO DE FREITAS LAGOON CHRIST THE REDEEMER LIT UP WITH BLUE LIGHTS DANUZA SILVA, MARKETING PROFESSIONAL CHRIST THE REDEEMER LIT UP WITH BLUE LIGHTS (SOUNDBITE
  • Embargoed: 18th April 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico, Brazil
  • City:
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: International Relations,Health,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABH9GW5TO4RBYAQOZU3KFZN4GU
  • Story Text: Rio de Janeiro's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue was lit up blue on Tuesday (April 02) to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day.
    Autism Awareness Month's Light It Up Blue campaign once again organized the lighting of some of the world's most iconic buildings and monuments to generate support and understanding for the disorder.
    "I have a friend whose son is autistic and she works with an NGO. She wants to world to be prepared for autistic people and give them better conditions so that they can live as the rest of the world lives, normally, so that they can have opportunities in life as well. I think it's a good thing to call attention to the issue in general," marketing professional Danuza Silva said.
    World Autism Awareness Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2007, and was first celebrated in 2008.
    "It's nice to bring attention to the fact that autism is out there and that it needs to be addressed and it needs to be healed. It is something that really needs to be worked on because it is something that's not really good for our children and they could do something so we can better our children so they can grow up to be more strong and healthy and be better children in life," American tourist Areell Edwards said.
    In Mexico City, several notable landmarks were lit up with blue lights for the occasion, including the Angel of Independence on the city's iconic Reforma Avenue, the Monument to the Revolution and Chapultepec Castle, as well as Mexico's Senate building.
    "Today we are joining this unequivocal sign that we are committed to working to improve the conditions of people with the disability of autism. This will be represented by lighting the city blue. Mexico City will be illuminated with blue," Mexico City mayor Miguel Mancera said.
    Of an estimated 83,000 people with disabilities in Mexico City, approximately 3,000 are autistic, Mancera said on one of his official Twitter accounts.
    New York's Empire State building and the Sydney Opera House were among the many other well-known landmarks also lit blue on Tuesday.
    Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioural challenges.
    The advocacy group Autism Speaks estimated that approximately 67 million people world-wide are affected by autism.
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