Thailand ranks in the top 3 for having the lowest unemployment rate in the world. From the latest statistics in February 2016, Thailand’s unemployment rate is just 0.94% but amidst such a promising figure lies the unprecedented, shocking fact: 90% of people with autism in Thailand, a country with one of the lowest unemployment rates, are unemployed.

According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it is estimated that 1 in 68 people are diagnosed with autism who, as a result, are often misperceived as incapable of working. However, contrary to the misperception, with proper treatment and nurture as they mature, people with autism do have the prospect to grow and blossom as capable and responsible individuals. In order to raise awareness about the importance of equal opportunity for people with autism, a disorder that does not render incompetence, but is a spectrum with a wide range of potential and hope, a community of acceptance must be cultivated at the root of society. This includes empowering them to lead their daily lives with rights and respect, with their intrinsic values as an individual being acknowledged, and with the same opportunities as everyone else.

Recently, BBDO Bangkok, in partnership with Steps with Theera, a Bangkok-based vocational training centre for people with special needs, address and tackle the issue at its core. Aiming to create sustainable employment opportunities for people with autism, thereby enabling them to lead independent lives, the collaboration created a campaign that effectively turns the ratio of autism diagnosis into the ratio of equal opportunity in employment. Under the brand “1 IN 68”, private enterprises, including SMEs, are encouraged to join in the campaign by launching limited collections of merchandise, with the condition that 1 out of the 68 people who are part of making that particular product, must be a person with autism. So far, the campaign has received great response from private enterprises expressing their keen interest in joining this purposeful initiative. Top Thai brands including Roots, Greyhound, Cafe de Tu, Nanyang, and If I Were a Carpenter have joined the initiative since the initial stage and have worked in collaboration with well-trained students from Steps with Theera to successfully launch “1 IN 68” branded merchandise. Thus, through the “1 IN 68” brand, people with autism are able to display their tangible capability as individuals to their potential employers.