Recognising the importance of supporting people with disabilities in the community, global apparel retailer UNIQLO has collaborated with Early Autism Project Malaysia (EAP) to create fresh designs for its latest UTme! Collection. These new designs, conceptualised based on the theme “Be Kind’ and contributed by children with autism, offer unique and meaningful perspectives, showcasing the children’s interpretations and creative expressions.
To coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in December, UNIQLO has joined hands with EAP, an educational center that focuses on autism rehabilitation within the local community, to raise awareness and shine a spotlight on the artistic talents of young Malaysians with autism. The UTme! and EAP Collection, encompassing seven designs, is exclusively offered starting today at UNIQLO stores at DA Square, Fahrenheit88 and Sunway Pyramid.
UNIQLO, in collaboration with EAP through UTme!, funded the new designs, contributing support towards EAP’s The Hope Project, which is an initiative to raise awareness, inclusivity, and set national standards in the field of autism. This commitment reflects UNIQLO’s dedication to inclusivity and empowerment of individuals with autism, aiming to increase awareness and access to accurate diagnosis and treatment for individuals on the autism spectrum.
“Social acceptance remains one of the key factors in cultivating an inclusive and safe environment for autistic individuals within the Malaysian community. It’s heartening to see organisations like UNIQLO introducing initiatives that raise awareness of our autistic community,” said Hannah Yeoh, Minister of Youth and Sports Malaysia.
“UTme! is a service offered by UNIQLO that allows customers to choose custom designs created by our collaborating artists and designers for T-shirts or tote bags. Our collaboration with EAP showcases artwork created by children with autism, providing them a platform to express their creativity and raise awareness about Malaysia’s autistic community through the UTme! service. Autism awareness is a cause that resonate deeply with us, as we not only hire 30 individuals with disabilities, but among them, six incredible individuals are on the autism spectrum,” said Evelyn Tan, Legal, Sustainability and Corporate PR, Director of UNIQLO Malaysia. (中文： UNIQLO马来西亚可持续发展总监 - 陈钻晶)
"Our nonprofit initiative, The Hope Project, is committed to raising awareness and acceptance of individuals with autism as well as other disabilities, providing subsidised services and accessible resources. We truly commend UNIQLO’s efforts in supporting inclusion, diversity and ultimately standing as a beacon of hope for individuals with autism and their families," said Jochebed Isaacs, Director of Early Autism Project Malaysia.
In addition to the partnership with EAP, UNIQLO is further improving its DA Square store to create a more accessible environment for all. The store currently offers universal fitting rooms, wheelchair-accessible disability toilets, and designated parking spaces for people with disabilities. Moreover, UNIQLO will introduce exclusive quiet shopping hours on Thursday mornings throughout December, from 9.30am to 10.30am featuring no in-store music, with UNIQLO staff available to assist shoppers with disabilities during their visit.
UNIQLO is also organising a workshop aimed at equipping its employees with awareness and knowledge to support colleagues with disabilities. This initiative is part of the company’s commitment to cultivating an inclusive mindset among all employees, fostering an accepting workplace environment, and extending these values to effectively serve UNIQLO’s diverse customer base. Currently, UNIQLO employs 30 staff who have a disability across its Malaysian stores.
For more information about UNIQLO and its sustainability initiatives, please visit www.uniqlo.com/my.
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