The United Nations World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) takes place on Thursday 2nd April this year. UN WAAD will focus on 60 million people with autism around the world.

The UK Autism Foundation is launching a fundraising drive to mark the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day. The charity was recently featured on the BBC News website in connection with the Autism Bill debated in parliament and an interview was also published in the London Guardian. UKAF also spearheaded Autism Sunday which was celebrated around the world on 8th February.

The economic crisis has devastated the charity sector with a huge drop in charitable giving. The Foundation hopes that people will find it in their hearts to give and support the work of UKAF. The charity is lobbying and campaigning specifically on behalf of the poor.

The United Nations World Autism Awareness Day was launched last year by the UN General Assembly in New York on the recommendation of the State of Qatar. Last year Ivan Corea was interviewed by GMTV and CNN for the inaugural launch. The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the UN World Autism Awareness Day last year. Mr.Ban ki-moon said: 'As we advance the universal human rights of children with disabilities, let us focus on building enabling environments for them to prosper as future members of their communities, citizens of their countries and as fully-fledged members of the global community. Let us pay tribute to the courage of children with autism and their families, as they strive every day to confront the disability with a powerful combination of determination, creativity and hope. Let us empower them and respond to their needs today, so as to make our societies more accessible, enabling and empowering for all our children tomorrow. '

To mark UN World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) 2009 on 2nd April - the UK Autism Foundation is now partnering with Justgiving to launch a fundraising campaign for autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Ivan Corea said: 'Individuals, schools, colleges,faith communities, companies can now raise funds around the world and support the work of the UK Autism Foundation. The partnership with Justgiving is part of the UKAF's fundraising strategy. You can start up your own fundraising page on Justgiving for UKAF, or set up a page in memory of a loved one. We urge urge people to look at the following links and support UKAF on the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD)':

www.justgiving.com/ukautismfound
www.justgiving.com/ukautismfound/raisemoney 
www.justgiving.com/ukautismfound/donate
www.justgiving.com/ukautismfound/remember