Hiki, the friendship and dating app for the autistic community, has partnered with Getty Images to launch #AustisticOutLoud, a content initiative designed to increase more authentic depictions of autistic people.  

Hiki, started in 2019 with input from a team of neurodiverse people, is working with a cross-agency WPP team, led by global media agency network Mindshare, who orchestrated the partnership with Getty Images.  

"Working in media and as someone who is autistic, I was tired of seeing the regressive, disempowering images of autistic folks in mass media that are at odds with the community I know – one that is highly expansive and creative," says Rachel Lowenstein, one of the autistic content creators featured in this campaign.  

She is also a lead on the initiative as global head of inclusive innovation, Mindshare. "I'm proud of this project as an opportunity for our industry to reshape media to be more representative to a community that has long been spoken over and for, by centering our own expressions. That's why we called it #AutisticOutLoud.” 

The WPP team also includes agencies VMLY&R and Set Creative for branding, strategy, and other work on the project. 

According to the companies, about 15%-20% of the population worldwide is neurodivergent. Bringing in content creators and photographers who identify as autistic, the #AutisticOutLoud campaign features a curated gallery of images and videos that show the diversity and resilience of the community. The creators will also become part of Getty Images' global contributor network. 

"The autistic community is not a monolith," says Jamil Karriem, Founder and CEO, Hiki. "Yet in media and entertainment, they're often infantilized or stereotyped as savants with a voice that typically centers on the experience of white males.” 

 At Hiki, Karriem added, “our mission is to connect all people across the autistic community and give them a place where their identities and lived experiences can be honored and validated. A crucial part of that is for the autistic community to be seen for all of their tremendous differences and nuances as unique individuals."