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Raising
awareness about autism in Ja
Last
year, it was inaugural. This year, it has
become an institution! The Maia Chung Autism
and Disabilities Foundation's (MCADF's)
Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors Competition
2012, the flagship event of the MCADF to
commemorate global Autism Month, is on this
year and is now even bigger and better.
The competition begins on January 31 (the
launch date was pushed back from the first
Tuesday in January to the last due to the
recent general election) and extends to
April 2, International Autism Day.
Founder
of the organisation, Maia Chung, says that
the MCADF is hoping to motivate more Jamaican
high-school students than last year to realise
that helping the autistic and disabled person
is more than just a fad. It is a meaningful
way to spend their time and access opportunities
to develop their own lives in a positive
and meaningful way.
The
culmination of the event will, for the first
time, feature The Wyndham-sponsored Autism
and Disabilities Banquet on April 28, involving
a multiple-course meal for 35 persons, chiefly
winners and their families, to honour their
work. The prizes will be handed out during
this event.
Last
year's winners, Nicole Nation, Javanna Haughton
and Shavell Skeel, won multiple prizes for
their efforts in lifting the awareness of
autism through writing letters published
in the two major local newspapers, calling
for more tolerance for the disabled, and
writing poems about the plight of the disabled,
also published in the two major newspapers.
The entrants also organised displays at
their schools, churches, and community centres
that dealt specifically with heightening
awareness of various disabilities.
Volunteering
In
addition to these activities, current entrants
will have to volunteer with community disabilities
groups, and this has to be done for all
the months leading into April 28, 2012.
They must also mount displays comprising
well-designed posters about various disabilities,
accompanied by text, which teaches about
the disabilities highlighted. They are also
expected to organize a fund-raiser for a
disabilities club at their school, raising
money to advance a disabilities group's
needs, and all entrants must submit an essay
about their response and understanding of
a disability of their choice by April 2.
The competition is open to all persons from
12 to 18 years old across the island. All
entries must be sent to mcautismfoundation@gmail.com.
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