Adults with autism can now find their soulmates through ‘Inclusive Matrimony’

People with disabilities face many barriers when it comes to finding life partners. For those on the autism spectrum, it is even more challenging. A group of mothers of adults with autism have come forward to change this through a social media platform. Called Inclusive Matrimony, it aims to help people with autism connect and find a partner with whom they can spend their lives.

Mothers of adults with autism from different cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Coimbatore started ‘Inclusive Matrimony’ as a WhatsApp group. Soon they realised that they need to expand their venture and spread out the word. Facebook was the ideal platform.

Our children are intelligent, caring and responsible well settled adults who are ready to take the next step in their lives. We explored some regular avenues on matrimonial sites. We wanted to be open and stated that we are looking for a match for an adult having Aspergers. No one responded. This got us talking. Matrimonial sites offer one on one viewing, chatting and so on. We thought it would be great to have a platform where we could bring together all the adults on the spectrum, empathetic neurotypicals, and other adults with disabilities. – Team Inclusive Matrimony

Since its launch last month, ‘Inclusive Matrimony’ has over 100 followers. The list is just growing bigger as more people are getting to know about it. However, the team at ‘Inclusive Matrimony’ wants to avoid sharing posts related to this as there are many taboos.

“Facebook is a great platform which will work for all of us only when we share things. But most of them are worried about what others will think when they share such posts, sais a member who wants to stay unidentified.

Not every parent of an adult with autism prefers to opt for an online platform to choose a spouse for their sons or daughters as there are concerns about how transparent and truthful the information put out there is. Pratibha Bhatnagar, whose son is on the spectrum and is a working professional, is among them.

“We would definitely want a good life partner for him who understands his disability and stands by him”, says Pratibha. “However, the details put forward on online mediums can be deceiving and far from the truth about an individual. We have to look into many aspects before confirming. Personally, I would prefer my son getting married to someone whom we know well.

Whatever the concerns, the presence of a platform like this is a step in the right direction. If you want to know more about ‘Inclusive Matrimony’, all you need to do is set up a Facebook account and send a friend request to them.

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