For all of us who are aware of FASD – whether we are an individual living with FASD, a parent or carer for someone who has FASD or a professional whose role involves support for those with FASD – a desire commonly shared is that there was much wider awareness and understanding of FASD in the Australian community.
While it is important that awareness raising occurs throughout the whole year whenever an opportunity arises, International FASD Awareness Month in September offers the perfect opportunity for everyone to contribute to amplifying the messages about FASD that NOFASD will be sharing in September.
Around the world, September (the ninth month of the year and chosen to symbolise the nine months of pregnancy) is recognised as the month to raise awareness about FASD and the importance of being alcohol-free over the full nine months of pregnancy. International FASD Awareness Day is celebrated on 9th September.
Every touchpoint during this month can make a difference to the level of community awareness and together we can increase the number of people who’ve heard of FASD and are then interested in learning more. There are so many different ways to get involved in raising awareness. Please keep reading and decide which of the options will suit you to become involved this year!
1) Host an Event
If you are able to get involved in a face-to-face event NOFASD can support you in your activities by providing a package of hard copy FASD Awareness resources.
We encourage you to order your pack as soon as possible and to tell us what you are planning to do in September. Even if your event is a ‘by invitation only’ because you are hosting in your own home, at your child’s school or in your workplace, we’ll include basic details about it on our September Events Calendar to inspire others with ideas for how they can contribute to raising awareness. Please contact us as soon as possible now to order a Resource Pack to support your September FASD Awareness event so that we can post a free resource pack to you in plenty of time to be ready for your activity.
(Read on further below for some ideas to get you thinking about the type of event you could organise.)
2) Get Involved on Social Media
NOFASD has created a package of social media tiles together with the suggested text to accompany each tile to make it easy for you to use these on your own social media pages during September to raise awareness of FASD. You can download the FASD Awareness Social Media Kit here.
In addition, a reminder to share, like and comment on NOFASD’s social media pages during September – this will help to increase engagement among the broader community. You can get involved whether you use Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
3) Check Out the September FASD Awareness Calendar
The NOFASD website features a calendar so you can check out the events being held around Australia in support of FASD Awareness month. There may be an event happening near you in which you can participate – or it might provide you with an idea for an activity you can run in your area. Access the September 2024 Events Calendar
If you are planning an activity to help raise awareness of FASD we’d love you to share the details of your event with us. We are keen to hear about both events that are open to the public and also the private events that are being planned (i.e.: within workplaces, schools or homes). Register your event here
As well as events being held around Australia, our calendar also lists the various landmarks that will be lit up in red at some stage during September to recognise FASD and promote awareness. Last year over 50 landmarks joined this campaign and, as you’ll see in the photo at the top of this blog, Brisbane’s Story Bridge was one of these. It will again be lit up in red this year on 9th September (International FASD Awareness Day) as will a wide variety of other landmarks around Australia. Check the listings under the heading “Lights” in NOFASD’s listing of September events to see if there is a landmark near you that you can visit when it is lit up in red. If you do visit a landmark, we’d love you to share your photo on NOFASD’s social media or by email, together with a few words about how it made you (and your family) feel to see FASD acknowledged in such a public way. You can still maintain some confidentiality in sharing your photo – see the photo below from last year with a NOFASD supporter enjoying the sight of Brisbane’s Story Bridge lit up in red.
Of course we also thank those passionate FASD advocates who are happy to share their names and faces in supporting this cause.
Why Red?
Read more about the Red Shoes Rock campaign.
Beginning with red shoes, the campaign has now expanded into wearing red socks and lighting up landmarks in red. Whether it is you and your teammates wearing red shoes or socks during a regular activity or dressing up your pets in red socks to attract attention when they are out and about, you can join the Red Shoes Rock campaign. If you don’t have red shoes and would like red socks to wear (or for your pet to wear) to highlight your event please let us know you would like some socks.
NOFASD can include up to 10 pairs of red socks free with your resource pack of FASD Awareness resources, but you do need to let us know if you’d like to have red socks included in your pack.
Keen to be involved, but not sure what you could do for a FASD Awareness activity? Here are some ideas:
- Ask your child’s school if you could organise a small display near the entry with leaflets explaining more about FASD – and make sure you wear red shoes (or red socks) to attract attention.
- Does your child participate in a sporting team? Have a chat to the coach and see if they would approve all the children in the team wearing red socks at a training session or a match in support of FASD awareness.
- Organise a morning tea in your workplace – ask everyone to ‘bring a plate’ and wear red shoes or red socks. Have a display of FASD leaflets at the morning tea (supplied in the resource pack NOFASD will send you when you register your event).
- Approach your local coffee shop to see if they would be open to having all their staff wear red shoes or socks on a chosen date and display some FASD brochures or posters.
- Do you walk your dog at an off-leash dog park? Organise with other dog lovers to dress your pooches in red socks on a chosen date, take photos of the group and share these on your own social media and/or by commenting on one of NOFASD’s posts and including your photo. Or simply dress your pooch in red socks when you go out for your daily walk. In past years our “Doggy Diplomats” have provided an engaging entry point for a conversation about FASD. Who wouldn’t ask “Why is your dog wearing red socks?”
- Our Information Pack provides further ideas. You may wish to download FASD Fact Sheets to distribute at an event, play a webinar, or provide your own presentation using our FASD 101 PowerPoint slides. NOFASD Australia also has printable posters for display.
Decide now to do something to support FASD Awareness month, place your order for a resource pack and register your event on the NOFASD September events calendar as soon as possible. Get your order in now – the NOFASD team is looking forward to hearing what you are planning!