For Victorian Christian Daniel Giles, World Autism Day is just another day spent trying to find his place in society. Like many Christians in their early 20’s, Daniel is seeking to work out how God has gifted him and how to use this uniqueness for the Kingdom.

Daniel, who was diagnosed with autism at age two, sees World Autism Day as an opportunity for the church in particular to think hard about disability inclusion.  Having overcome bullying and developmental delays, stigmas and a society not oriented towards disability inclusion, Daniel wants most of all to see his beloved Christian community grow in its awareness of the condition.

“I wish people would understand God’s given people with autism many gifts and like everyone, they’re created in his image. Autism is not something to be afraid of.”

Tonight, as part of a United Nations iniative, landmarks around the world, including Sydney’s Opera House will be lit up blue to draw attention to the disability which affects 1 in 110 Australians, while later this year, the UN General-Assembly will hold a high-level meeting to discuss how to form a worldwide approach to disability, including those with autism spectrum disorders.

A talented graphic designer and servant-hearted follower of Jesus, Daniel is an asset to his Bendigo-based Catholic church. He says he finds Christians to be generally accepting of him, but there is more to be done for people with disability.

“I think the best thing a church can do is find out from the disabled person themselves what their needs are. Be willing to appreciate that everyone comes from different walks of life and there’s not just one way to express their faith in Christ.”

“People certainly are very compassionate. I do have the occasional meltdown and sometimes people have looked at me a bit funny. But most strive to understand.”

For churches wanting to be more disability inclusive, Christian Blind Mission runs workshops to help ministries think about how to accommodate different needs as part of its Luke 14 disability inclusion project. A Luke 14 advocate, Daniel is currently planning a number of informal coffee gatherings in his hometown of Bendigo for people who’ve been to a workshop and want to talk about what works.

But for those just beginning to think about disability inclusion, the CBM website is a good place to start.

Header image: Daniel Giles speaking at an Victorian autism plan launch