A charity has had to abandon a campaign to raise awareness of autism after protests that it was spreading misinformation and dehumanised people with the condition.
Caudwell Children said that it had suspended the Locked in for Autism fundraisers, in which a volunteer spent 50 hours in a glass box. It was intended to be a symbol for the way that society interacts with people with autism.
Tesco hosted some of the events at its stores, but has withdrawn its support after criticism and an online petition that was signed by more than 1,500 people. It was set up by Alexis Ragaliauskas, 35, from Wakefield, who has autism.
She said: “It’s very dehumanising and insulting. Caudwell Children need to get with the times. They are saying autism is like being trapped in a box, which is so offensive — quite a lot of autistic people throughout history have been restrained and put in boxes.”
Last month The Times revealed that Caudwell Children was funding advocates of pseudoscience therapies for people with autism spectrum disorder.
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Caudwell Children said: “We apologise for any distress caused as that was most certainly not our intention.”