Mumbai: Braving all the temptations, the twitterati and the Facebook addicts will come together Nov 1 and shut down all means of social networking to support the cause of autism, create awareness about the disorder and also raise funds for charity, an official said.
Australia-based AEIOU Foundation first came up with the idea to provide early intervention therapy for children with autism in Australia.
In India, the campaign called 'Communication Shutdown' is supported by Asha Foundation -- a provider of physical social and emotional rehabilitation for individuals affected by autism.
"Social communication is one of the biggest challenges for people with autism. By choosing to shutdown their social networks for one day, users will have some idea of what it's like for people with autism who face this challenge everyday," said Ramesh Vangal, chief patron of Asha Foundation.
Vangal's only child is autistic. "I am therefore intimately aware of the challenges they live through in their daily life. They are misunderstood, socially isolated and live in their own world, shut-off from the mainstream," he said.
"Communication shutdown is a simple effort to make people feel what autistic individuals go through in their everyday lives," he added.
The campaign also encourages Facebook and Twitter users to make a donation that will signal their support and intention to boycott their social networking accounts Nov 1.
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