Hello Friends & Readers, today I want to let you know about a practical action you can take to support your loved ones in the autism community, and beyond.
There is currently an active petition before the house of commons (Canada) to establish an alert system that could help locate missing people who are autistic, intellectually delayed, or are otherwise vulnerable due to a disability. Your signature can help!
What is Indigo Alert?
Many of you may be familiar with Amber Alert. You have likely gotten one on your phone before. This emergency broadcast goes out when there is an abducted child, and alerts residents in the area to the situation. Public tips from Amber Alerts help police locate missing children faster.
Indigo Alerts would work much the same way Amber Alerts do. When a vulnerable person goes missing, alerts would be broadcast through the emergency broadcast system, as well as other media such as radio, TV, with the purpose of mobilizing the community and bringing the missing person home safely.
Why Indigo Alert?
So, if we already have Amber Alert, why exactly do we need Indigo Alert?
Amber Alert is only used in specific situations. The criteria for an Amber Alert is:
- The missing person is a child
- Abduction is suspected
The specificity of Amber Alert criteria can sometimes eliminate missing people who could really benefit from the immediate public response that Amber Alerts initiate.
The city of Calgary lived through a tragic example of Amber Alert’s limitations just this year (July 2026), when an 11-year-old autistic boy named Parker went missing from his day home. Parker did not qualify for an Amber Alert, because he was not believed to be abducted. It was suspected that he simply wandered away. (Read More: What Is Eloping?) After two days of police and volunteer searching, an exception was made, and an Amber Alert was issued. Sadly, this response came too late for Parker. His body was discovered in a culvert two weeks later.
Click here for CBC News Story on Parker
If Indigo Alerts become established in Canada, they would have different criteria than Amber Alerts. An Indigo Alert could be issued regardless of the age of the missing person, and also be issued in situations where abduction is not suspected. The proposed criteria for an Indigo Alert is:
- A disabled/vulnerable person is missing (no age cut-off)
- This person is at risk for harm, due to an inability to communicate or advocate for themselves
The proposed Indigo Alerts have been designed with disabilities in mind. They could be issued for any missing person who could come to harm without a caretaker’s support, regardless of their age. The purpose of these alerts would not be to rescue someone from abduction, but to rescue someone from potential danger, such as accidents, drowning, and weather exposure. They could be issued whether the missing person is a 5-year-old autistic child who ran away from a parent, or an 85-year-old with Alzheimer’s who wandered from their care home.
Further Reading
About Indigo Alert: Indigo Alert Canada’s Website
Read More:
Discover Moose Jaw: Indigo Alert campaign gains support across Saskatchewan
CBC News: Advocates gather in Regina urging creation of Indigo Alert
Sasktoday: What an Indigo Alert Would Mean
Canadians: Sign the House of Commons Petition NOW
Deadline: December 22, 2026
Any Canadian resident of legal age can sign the active online petition to establish Indigo Alert in Canada. By doing so, you can help protect your friends, neighbors, and loved ones who are at serious risk of injury or death when they go missing.
Signing is easy. Simply go to the link below and enter your information. You will then receive a confirmation email with link to click, verifying that your email is valid, and that you intended to sign this petition. That’s it!
From the House of Commons petition: “We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to convene provinces, territories, law enforcement, autism and disability organizations, and affected families to develop shared national standards for a vulnerable missing persons alert framework to better protect people with autism, non-speaking individuals, and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities who wander or go missing…”
Click the Link Below to Sign the Petition
Link: Petition e-7703 (Public safety)
©Ashley Lilley
This blog was written by a human being (me!) without the use of generative AI. I do not consent to having my work used for AI training purposes. Thank you for supporting human writers.
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