A Global Campaign and Civic Platform

Overview

Autistic Pride Day, held on 18 June, lacked coordinated leadership, visibility and infrastructure. Just Gold and the Aurum Foundation developed and lead a global campaign and civic platform centred on neurodivergent leadership and public visibility.

Challenge

Autistic people were underrepresented in leadership roles and in storytelling. The day was inconsistent, lacked credibility and had no global infrastructure.

Approach

Delivered using The Praxis Framework, the campaign is co produced with and for Autistic communities. Just Gold:

• Created annual themes: Everyday Autistic (2023), Taking Off the Mask (2024) and Unapologetically Autistic (2025)
• Launched the first national symposium and expanded it into a national conference stream under Think Autism
• Built and distributed toolkits, campaign assets and global access resources

The visual identity is developed further each year. Taking Off the Mask used imagery of a mask becoming a butterfly. Unapologetically Autistic introduced customisable templates for self expression. Every year uses a rainbow palette, strong type and accessible layouts.

Deliverables

• Annual campaign identity and strategy
• Toolkits, captions and digital content for partners worldwide
• Event delivery across Melbourne, Sydney and digital platforms
• Accessibility, evaluation and partnership strategy

Outcome

Autistic Pride Day now reaches millions globally, with 10+ countries engaged through the Autistic Pride Day Global Initiative. It has been featured in government, academic and sector forums, and multiple councils and social enterprises have adopted the model. It has become a flagship Australian campaign for neurodiversity.