There are thought to be around 88,000 Londoners living with
autism. Research suggests that only 16 per cent of autistic
adults are in full-time paid work, more than half of autistic
people avoid public transport due to fears of disruption, and
four in five autistic people feel socially isolated.
Today, the London Assembly called for the Mayor to develop an
all-age London-wide autism strategy to be included within his
Health Inequalities Strategy.
AM, who proposed the motion
said:
“Autism is a highly complex disability, which can make even the
most ordinary seeming of activities a challenge, such as taking
public transport. The Mayor needs to go much further in ensuring
that all of the 88,000 autistic Londoners have access to both the
services and support that they desperately require.
“Whilst the Mayor has attempted to make some progress with this,
he could be doing substantially more by developing a specific
London-wide autism strategy. His current health inequalities
strategy fails to understand that a one size fits all solution
will never fully work due to the complex and various challenges
faced by people living with autism.”
AM, who seconded the motion
said:
“There are thousands of Londoners with autism who encounter huge
challenges when going about their daily lives - whether it’s
finding full-time paid work, building a social network or using
public transport.
“If we are to continue to strive towards making our capital an
accessible place for all its residents and visitors, we need to
get rid of these unjust barriers and address the inequalities
that neurodivergent Londoners face.
“This is why we are calling upon the Mayor to implement an autism
strategy for London. Working alongside local authorities, CCGs
and charities, City Hall can play a key part in ensuring that
autistic Londoners of all ages and backgrounds can more easily
access the support and services they need.”
The full text of the motion is:
Autism is a hugely diverse and complex disability that affects
thousands of people across London. It is currently estimated that
there are around 88,000 autistic people living in London as well
as the much wider group of people who live with, work with or
come into contact with autistic people every day. Autism sits
under the umbrella of neurodiversity. It is estimated that 10% of
the population are neurodivergent. Despite this, autistic people
and other neurodivergent people still face massive hurdles and
health inequalities in their daily lives.
This Assembly notes the disproportionate challenges autistic
people face, with research suggesting only 16% of autistic adults
are in full-time paid work, over 50% of autistic people avoid
public transport due to fears of disruption and 79% of autistic
people feel socially isolated.
This Assembly believes that London should be a place for everyone
and the Mayor should do all he can to tear down the unacceptable
barriers and health inequalities faced by autistic people and
other neurodivergent people across our city.
This Assembly therefore calls on the Mayor to develop an all-age
London-wide autism strategy to be included within his Health
Inequalities Strategy, working with Borough Councils, CCGs and
others setting out how the right services and support will be
provided, that all relevant professionals have the right level of
autism understanding, and that our city is accessible to autistic
people and open to neurodiversity.
