Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue lit blue for World Autism Awareness Day

The hilltop Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro was lit blue on Wednesday, ahead of World Autism Awareness Day on Thursday.

The event was organised by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro and the Blue World Foundation, along with the participation of families of affected by autism.

The movement also aimed to make a splash across social media platforms by launching the hashtag #acendaumaluzazul, or #lightitupblue, along with a music video drawing attention to the syndrome, entitled "Blue Selfie".

COLOUR OF THE FIGHT

"Today, one in every 100 children is born with autism, so we symbolise this date with the colour blue. Every 2nd of April, various monuments throughout the world are lit up blue in reference to the colour of the fight for those with autism. I think that today, Blue World, has an important role to play, in circulating information and raising awareness in society," President of the Blue World Foundation, Ilton Caruso, told Reuters beside the Christ the Redeemer statue on Wednesday.

"Many people already relate the image of the Christ lit up in blue with the fact that today is a day of fight, a day to reflect and think about improving treatment and diagnosis, inclusive education and respect. The families need to be embraced and looked after," Caruso added.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) changed the classification of autism 15 years ago, from a disease to a disorder.

According to WHO, the disorder is characterised by difficulties in social interaction, communication and a restricted and repetitive repertoire of interests and activities, across a wide spectrum of manifestations and severity.

EMPLOYMENT

The United Nations (UN) declared the theme for the 2015 International Day for Autism Awareness "Employment: The Autism Advantage" in light of the estimate that 80 percent of adults with autism are unemployed.

According to the UN, employers often overlook heightened abilities in pattern recognition and logical reasoning, and attention to detail, often shown by people on the autism spectrum.