Looking back at 2023 - Autism Alliance of Canada
As the year draws to a close, we extend our warmest wishes for a joyous and peaceful holiday season.
At Autism Alliance of Canada, we take this moment to express our gratitude. Alongside our community, we helped drive momentum towards Canada's National Autism Strategy from the very beginning. As we look ahead to the coming year, we remain dedicated to helping the Government of Canada to ensure a strong, actionable, and measurable National Autism Strategy.
We are excited about what lies ahead, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Join us as we look back at some impactful moments of 2023. Happy holidays and happy new year!
From January to April 2023 at Autism Alliance of Canada
On March 28, 2023, by unanimous consent, Bill S-203, “An Act respecting a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder,” was adopted at Report Stage and Third Reading in the House of Commons. We thank our members that appeared as witnesses before the Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to share their support and perspectives on Bill S-203. Read more.
In March 2023, we announced that our national employment program delivered in partnership with Inclusion Canada, Ready, Willing and Able (RWA), secured funding necessary to ensure its continued delivery until at least October 2027. This investment enables RWA to continue and expand its work with employers and community agencies to generate employment opportunities for job seekers with an intellectual disability or on the autism spectrum. Read more.
On April 17th to 19th, 2023, we hosted the 9th Annual Canadian Autism Leadership Summit in Ottawa and via livestream. With over 250 registrants from across Canada and around the world, we were blown away by the response to CALS2023, our signature event highlighting World Autism Month. Read more.
From May to August 2023 at Autism Alliance of Canada
On June 15, 2023, we organized a Side Event at the United Nations’ 16th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP16) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. We were proud to bring together Autistic persons, policy makers, researchers and practitioners to discuss promising practices and share learnings to help build a more equitable and inclusive world for Autistic people. Read more.
On June 19, 2023, we launched the Canadian Autistic Adult Needs Assessment, led by our CIHR Health System Impact Fellow Dr. Mackenzie Salt, in partnership with McMaster University. It was completed by 1,915 participants from all provinces and territories. The work was funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, to inform and drive policy and research to address the needs of Autistic adults across Canada. Read more.
On June 19, 2023, we hosted our second Autism Data Collaborative Engagement Event. During the session, our data-to-policy fellows presented updates on their projects. They also led small group discussions to get input from the community about their work. After the event ended, fellows reflected on the feedback received and thinking about how it can be incorporated into their projects moving forward. Read more.
On June 22, 2023, after tireless advocacy from Canadians living with disabilities, Bill C-22, "An Act to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of persons with disabilities," received Royal Assent. Autism Alliance of Canada and our members were involved in pressing the House of Commons and the Senate to move pass and adopt this Bill. Read more.
On July 11, 2023, the Government of Canada announced funding for Autism Alliance of Canada to collaborate with the Pacific Autism Family Network and Autism Speaks Canada to outline the requirements to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a National Autism Network that will support the implementation of a National Autism Strategy. Read more.
From September to December 2023 at Autism Alliance of Canada
On September 13, 2023, we announced the launch of our brand-new logo and website. We went through a complete transformation, giving our website a fresh new look and feel to better reflect our commitment towards a National Autism Strategy. Our new website offers a more intuitive layout, contains more accessible features and is fully bilingual. Read more.
On November 8, 2023, we welcomed our 2023-2025 Health System Impact Fellow, Dr. Alexia Ostrolenk. Dr. Ostrolenk joined the Alliance’s highly skilled community of fellows who have a track record of engaging in impactful, community-driven projects. As the host organization, we're excited to collaborate with St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, to provide mentorship and training to Dr. Ostrolenk. Read more.
On November 24, 2023, we launched registration for the 10th edition of the Canadian Autism Leadership Summit (CALS2024). We are crafting an exciting agenda for CALS2024, centering on our three themes: Inform, Implement & Innovate. If you're interested in learning about the latest developments on the National Autism Strategy in Canada, you won’t want to miss out! Read more.