September marks FASD Awareness Month, and once again communities across Australia are lacing up something red.

Red Shoes Rock is the global campaign behind the call to action. It encourages people to wear red shoes or socks, share personal stories and start conversations. The topics include Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, alcohol free pregnancies and better support for people living with the condition.

The idea began in 2013. RJ Formanek, an adult living with FASD, started wearing red shoes to stand out from the crowd. He wanted the shoes to prompt questions about what he calls an invisible disability. More than a decade on, the gesture has grown into an international movement for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder awareness, observed every September.

Why This Awareness Push Matters

FASD remains a hidden and significantly under diagnosed disability. Figures shared as part of this year’s campaign estimate that 3.64 per cent of the general population in Australia lives with FASD. That is almost one million people.

For a condition so widespread, public recognition still lags well behind its reach. That gap is part of why this annual push matters.

Throughout September, communities are invited to talk about prevention, reduce stigma and show support for people affected by FASD. A brand new Red Shoes Rock website has launched with practical suggestions for getting involved. These include posting a photo of red shoes or socks on social media, visiting landmarks that will light up in red on 9 September, downloading a conversation guide for approaching the topic with confidence, and hearing directly from people living with FASD, along with their families, carers and supporters.

Following FARE’s social media channels during September is one of the simplest ways to stay across the latest campaign updates.

FASD Awareness Month Reaches Into Frontline Services

NOFASD Australia and AADC are co hosting a webinar, titled FASD Across All Systems, Why It Matters, to mark the month, and will use it to launch a new lived experience resource. The session brings together carers, professionals and lived experience representatives for a live question and answer segment. Discussion will focus on how stronger collaboration across systems can improve outcomes for people living with FASD.

The webinar is aimed at people working across the alcohol and other drug sector, out of home care, justice, child protection, mental health, family services, housing and homelessness, and youth and community services. Anyone interested in supporting children, young people and families affected by FASD is also encouraged to attend.

The session runs on Tuesday 29 September 2026, from 1.00pm to 2.30pm AEST. Register here.

Getting Involved

A single red sock worn to work. A shared story on social media. An hour spent at a professional webinar. FASD Awareness Month is built around small, visible actions that add up to a much bigger conversation.

With almost one million Australians estimated to be living with FASD, a red shoe or a shared post is a small way of saying the condition, and the people living with it, are worth talking about.

Source: swiftfoxcrm