AAN Side Event for ESCAP's High-level Inter-Governmental Meeting

The Autism Society Philippines joined the ASEAN Autism Network panel discussion regarding “Opportunities, Challenges and Direction of AAN” last October 21, 2022 in Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta. The hybrid panel discussion is a a side event to the ESCAP's High-level Inter-Governmental Meeting on the Final Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities 2013-2022.

The APCD officer Somchai Ringsilp and AAN Secretariat Head Candy Hernandez.
Photo credit: Aiko Akiyama and Candy Hernandez

ASP Chair Emerita as a panelist. Photo credit: Aiko Akiyama and Candy Hernandez

ASP Chair Emerita Dang Koe shared her journey from being a mother to leading the Autism Society Philippines and then the AAN, which all catapulted her to receiving the inaugural ASEAN Prize in 2018. The recognition and the ASEAN accreditation of AAN as an ASEAN civil society partner organization helped raise awareness among high-level government officials from Asia-Pacific about the promotion of the quality of life of individuals with developmental disorders, including those on the autism spectrum.

The ASEAN Prize video of Dang Koe as inaugural recipient was shown during the side event.
Photo credit: Aiko Akiyama and Candy Hernandez

Panelists from other AAN members joined Dang and shared best practices on autism advocacy in their respective countries: incumbent AAN Chair Cason Ong of National Autism Society of Malaysia, Dr Adriana Ginanjar of Yayasan Autisma Indonesia and Somchai Rungsilp of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability.

The UNESCAP focal point person Aiko Akiyama (in brown) and Founder and CEO of London School, Jakarta, Indonesia LSPR Prita Kemal Gani (in blue and green) join the AAN Secretariat. Photo credit: Aiko Akiyama and Candy Hernandez