Tomorrow (Sunday, October 9) is Autism Speaks’ annual Walk for Autism in Columbus. And tomorrow our local chapter of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network will unite in protest against Autism Speaks and their lack of community support, their high rates of executive pay, their lack of autistic representation, and their unethical advertising practices. I’m so [...]
Yesterday, June 18, was Autistic Pride Day. As I sit in my apartment today, surrounded by half-filled boxes and piles of (overdue) library books, I find myself repeating a line, a line that brings frustration and distress. In the past few months, I’ve had run-ins with folks from Unpleasant Autism Organizations That Want to “Save [...]
In many respects, I think the subject heading says it all. I hear this a lot lately, primarily from undergraduate students who find autistic self-advocacy reprehensible and/or incomprehensible. In fact, at our protest this fall, someone actually came up to us and said, “If you can self-advocate, then you’re not autistic.” Way to disempower much? [...]
I returned from holiday festivities to find President Gee’s response to my letter in my mailbox. Here is what he wrote: December 15, 2008 Dear Melanie: Thank you for your thoughtful letter in response to my remarks at the Autism Speaks event. I am very glad to know that you are here at Ohio State [...]
I have not yet received a response from Gordon Gee about the letter I sent to him last month. I have, however, received lots of other responses — responses that run the gamut. I forwarded my letter to the central Ohio chapter of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, which then circulated the main listserv, which was [...]
