Historical buildings, bridges and towers in Turkey will be lit in blue Thursday to mark World Autism Awareness Day, though we won't be out and about to see it this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The July 15 Martyrs' Bridge, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge as well as the iconic Galata Tower in Istanbul will be illuminated as a part of the "Light It Up Blue" for the World Autism Awareness Day campaign.
The global event will be held simultaneously on April 2, while Turkish efforts will be led by the Tohum Autism Foundation.
"One in every 59 children in the world is born with the risk of autism, and this figure tends to increase every year," said the group's general manager, Betül Selcen Özer. "It is very important to create awareness about autism."
Although the reasons are not yet fully known, the incidence of autism has continued to rise, up from one in 2,500 children in 1985.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a group of neurodevelopment disorders of variable severity characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction.
Turkey's Autism Platform, a group of nongovernmental organizations established by parents of children with autism, estimates there are roughly 550,000 autistic individuals in Turkey, including 150,000 age 13 and under.
Özer also called on people to wear blue in support of understanding and breaking the stigma against people with autism and share it on social media with the hashtag #lightitupblue.
