Autism Speaks partners with The Home Depot and Philips Lighting

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Autism Speaks is partnering with The Home Depot® and Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, during World Autism Month in April to increase understanding and acceptance of children and adults with autism. Thousands of landmarks, buildings and homes will be bathed in blue light on Sunday, April 2, World Autism Awareness Day. Autism affects an estimated 70 million people around the globe.

To support Autism Speaks’ annual Light It Up Blue campaign, customers can purchase Philips blue LED light bulbs in their local The Home Depot stores and at homedepot.com.  In addition, The Home Depot Foundation and Philips Lighting will collectively donate $200,000 to Autism Speaks to help fund programs, services and resources that enhance lives today and accelerate a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow. Autism Speaks is committed to increasing early-childhood screening and timely interventions, improving the transition to adulthood and ensuring access to reliable information and services throughout the life span.

“Our partnership with The Home Depot and Philips Lighting is a big part of the success of our Light It Up Blue campaign,” said Lisa Goring, chief program and marketing officer at Autism Speaks. “With the purchase of each blue LED light bulb, customers show their understanding and acceptance of autism and encourage their neighbors, friends and colleagues to do the same.”

About autism

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, most caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences. An estimated 1 in 68 children is on the autism spectrum.

About Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. We empower people with autism and their families with resources, online tools and information covering the life span. 

About The Home Depot

The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,278 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2016, The Home Depot had sales of $94.6 billion and earnings of $8.0 billion. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.

About Philips Lighting

Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam ticker: LIGHT), a global leader in lighting products, systems and services, delivers innovations that unlock business value, providing rich user experiences that help improve lives. Serving professional and consumer markets, we lead the industry in leveraging the Internet of Things to transform homes, buildings and urban spaces. With 2016 sales of EUR 7.1 billion, we have approximately 34,000 employees in over 70 countries.