Ollibean Think Tank

My Voice, My Life : A Poem by Amy Sequenzia

This powerful poem from the book “MY VOICE, Autism, Life and Dreams” by self-advocate Amy Sequenzia says so much. We

Henry’s video for his friend Sebastien, please help by sharing

Thursday Henry decided he wanted to write something to help his friend. We decided to video the process, as you can see, typing

Sesame Street, This is an Autistic Speaking

Sesame Street knew nobody was missing, or lacking, anything. I was perfect! Everyone is perfect! But in real life, as I grew older, doctors and teachers convinced everyone that I was too broken to be worthy of any effort toward education and a future. Nobody saw me the way I was seen by my friends at Sesame Street.

Standing With Ashley

I stand with Ashley because she is part of our community, she is brave and she survived brutality.I stand with Ashley because I hope to show her, one day, that the joy of belonging to our caring community trumps the memories of pain.

Change Leader Questionairre: Richard Attfield

Change you would you like to see in your lifetime? "The end of discrimination towards children/people with disability labels. And the human right of communication implemented fairly. " Richard Attfield

Open Letter To Jon Stewart

When I met Jon Stewart I was very disappointed by his lack of knowledge and sensitivity toward autism. During a recent interview, while still a bit condescending, his views seem to have evolved. This is my open letter to him.

Facebook blocks NC mom’s pictures of Special Olympics event

Diane Cornwell said her seven year old, Cole, who happens to have Down Syndrome had a great time at his first Special Olympics event last Friday. She uploaded an album of 40 pictures to share and says Facebook blocked it for inappropriate content and locked her account.

Autism, Accommodation, and Double Standards

There are some particularly insidious double standards at work here. It's time to put an end to them.

Judith Heumann: Changing the System

Her activism is clearly rooted in a strong sense of justice. Early on she learned that

Happiness is Fireflies

This very sweet video, 'Fireflies' by The Jubilee Project is about two kids that connect in a beautiful way.

I Am Disabled and I Am Proud

‎"Polite society often tells us that we need to take the 'dis' out of disability, but maybe... just maybe, we should spend some time putting it back in. Take the "dis" out of disability and you remove the core of what has shaped my life. Disability puts the "D" in diversity, but in order to make that a real difference we've got to own that spot. It took me 35 years to respect and honor that truth. Others shouldn't have to wait that long..." Lawrence Carter-Long

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Change Leader: Larry Bissonette

Our first Change Leader is artist and disability rights advocate, Larry Bissonnette. Larry's art, writing, presentations, and films are changing perceptions about disability around the world. His quote in Wretches & Jabberers, "More like you than not" says it all.

We Are Not In Our Own World

We need to be careful about how we think about and talk about people with disabilities. One example is the reference that those who are autistic or deaf or blind or have some sort of movement differences are “in their own world.”