Jared Buck is a late-diagnosed college student studying History. He is also a member of the Deaf community and is passionate about disability advocacy. This week Jared discussed the lack of support he received growing up and how he has managed to find more helpful communities on the path to positive self identity and adult success.
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Ableism (discrimination against disabled people) is unfortunately so prevalent in society that it has pervaded everyday language. People use this language without even thinking about its origins or the problem with its widespread use. I’ve compiled a list of some of the most common ableist words/phrases in an effort to both illustrate their prevalence and raise awareness for those interested in avoiding this language (and educating others!).
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I recently saw a social media post supporting inclusion where an autistic woman commented with a warning about being “too inclusive.” What she was referring to was forceful inclusion, and gave the example of her mother removing her bedroom door at her therapist’s suggestion to improve socialization. This sounds like abuse, and the opposite of inclusion, but it’s worth mentioning because it raises the important questions of what is inclusion and who defines it?
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Leanne Libas is a writer, college student, and a/Autistic advocate. Leanne started her advocacy work after a life-changing experience at YLF (Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities). Leanne was an Autistic Scholarship Fellowship Recipient from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and she was a regular contributor to the Art of Autism blog. This is the first part of a two-part interview with Leanne. This week she shared her experience understanding how autism affects her and how she has adopted a positive autistic identity.
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Bennett Gaddes is the chairman of Autistic Self Advocacy Atlanta and co-founder of Spectrum Codes, an advocacy group with the purpose of preparing neurodiverse individuals for careers in technology. He is especially interested in creating accessible technology. This week Bennett discussed his involvement with Spectrum Codes as well as his perspective on the current state of disability advocacy.
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Amber Perry is an ASAN Chapter Leader and Representative for the Lane County Chapter of the Autism Society of Oregon. She started Central Oregon Autism Support Team (COAST) in Central Oregon and was a member and webmaster for the Bend-Redmond Asperger’s Support group. Today she is an active self-advocate and community and Kindtree volunteer and pending member of the Kindtree Board of Directors. This week Amber shared a few important topics for disability advocates.
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