April 4, 2011 | Ariel Dowski & Sheila Foran

Light It Up Blue

UConn’s historic Wilbur Cross Building was bathed in blue light on April 2, joining landmarks worldwide in the Light-It-Up-Blue campaign marking World Autism Awareness Day. Photo by Ariel Dowski

<p>In honor of World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, the historic Wilbur Cross Building in the heart of UConn’s main campus in Storrs was bathed in blue light. On the evenings of April 1 and 2, 2011, prominent buildings across North America and the world — including the Empire State Building in New York City, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia —turned their lights blue to raise awareness of autism. There were also smaller, more personal observances throughout the weekend that included wearing blue clothing, putting blue bulbs in outside house lights, and spreading the word via social media. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. Photo by Ariel Dowski</p>
In honor of World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, the historic Wilbur Cross Building in the heart of UConn’s main campus in Storrs was bathed in blue light. On the evenings of April 1 and 2, 2011, prominent buildings across North America and the world – including the Empire State Building in New York City, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia – turned their lights blue to raise awareness of autism. There were also smaller, more personal observances throughout the weekend that included wearing blue clothing, putting blue bulbs in outside house lights, and spreading the word via social media. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. It is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. Photo by Ariel Dowski