SEOUL,
South Korea, July 16,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 3rd AUTISM EXPO 2024
concluded on a high note, featuring a wide range of exhibits and
diverse events that attracted enthusiastic participation from
individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and
related organizations.
Co-hosted by SurplusGLOBAL and the Smile Together Foundation,
and co-organized by the Smile Together Foundation, the Autism
Society of Korea, and the AUTISM EXPO Organizing Committee, this
year's event saw significant support from public institutions such
as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Employment
Agency for Persons with Disabilities. A total of 103 organizations
participated with 138 booths, and over 21,000 attendees, including
individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and
professionals, visited the expo to gather valuable information on
developmental disabilities.
Key highlights of the expo included the Autism Art Festival and
Autism School, both of which were also streamed online. The Autism
Art Festival featured the Autism Superstar K event, hosted by actor
Lee Kwang-gi, with a special
performance by the Orchestra SOOP, a Korean orchestra of
individuals with developmental disabilities from Atlanta, Georgia. Thirteen teams, selected
through rigorous competition,
showcased their talents. The Autism Gala Show, hosted by
broadcaster Kim Mi-hwa, featured performances by six
specialized developmental disability performance groups, including
Dream with Ensemble, and a special performance by UANGEL VOICE.
Autism School offered 16 sessions with lectures from three
international speakers, including MD, PhD. Lawrence Fung, Director of Stanford
Neurodiversity Clinic, Stanford
University, and domestic experts. Additionally, Autism Talks
provided a platform for individuals living with developmental
disabilities to share their experiences.
Other notable events included the Autism Art Gallery, an
exhibition space for artworks by artists with developmental
disabilities; Autism Sports, a sports experience area in
collaboration with Special Olympics Korea; and Autism Books, which
featured a developmental disability book exhibition and book
talks.
A parent of an autistic child and an inclusive classroom teacher
who attended the expo shared, "I gained valuable information and
met supportive allies. I'm grateful to the expo for showing me that
I'm not alone."
Bruce Kim, CEO of the Smile
Together Foundation and SurplusGLOBAL, expressed his satisfaction
with the growing ecosystem for developmental disabilities, saying,
"I was delighted to see the developmental disability community
becoming more vibrant. I hope this 3rd AUTISM EXPO 2024 has laid
the groundwork for further solidarity and cooperation in the
developmental disability field. We will continue to work diligently
to present an even more advanced and developed expo at the 4th
AUTISM EXPO."
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SOURCE SurplusGLOBAL, Inc.