Hopes
I might be too optimistic for the reality, but I need HOPE to be able to keep demanding the rights taken away from me, just because I am me.
All the people saw my intelligence. No test first.
My family saw. I had hopeful times . Tracy invited me home to Vermont to learn . I went to ICI to learn. All the people saw my intelligence . No test first. It was very free. I never had many people understand. To wait. To listen. Not outside home. I did not want to go back to people unknowing. I read more words from typers watching my movie to feel community. Full presentation here
Autistics Speaking Day – My Fingers Speak
Today is Autistics Speaking Day, a day to remind the world that we actually speak every day, even if we do it with our fingers.
I Am Here To Make A Difference For My People
"I am here to make a difference for my people. I hope that you listen to what I have to say. I want people like you to stop judging me." Tres Whitlock
Because I Stood With Henry
Because I stood with Henry I am happier today and you should too. Henry not only got his rights, he proved that presumption of competence should be the default for every student.
Untitled
This is not directed at anyone in particular. It is about several people I’ve met throughout my life. I sometimes need to remind myself that being me means following my own agenda and not pleasing the ones who will not be part of my story.
Ariane Zurcher: Non-Speaking Autistic Woman Writes Book
Barb Rentenbach's funny, poignant and beautiful must-read book, I Might Be You: An Exploration of Autism and Connection, is now available as an audiobook.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay Stand Up for Inclusion
Presented and discussed will be the importance of inclusion and friendship for youth with disabilities. The cast and of the acclaimed feature documentary, Wretches & Jabberers will be joined by The National Center on Inclusive Education’s Mary Schuh, PhD, and Tampa advocate, 13 year old, Henry Frost.
April and Autism Acceptance at Tampa Theatre
Get your advocacy on. April and Autism Acceptance is in Tampa. The rock stars of disability advocacy- Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette- are back.
Ollibean Art for Change at USF: April. Autism. Advocacy. Acceptance.
A day of inclusive education, community acceptance, and self-advocacy at USF with Academy Award Winning Director and Stars of the Acclaimed Documentary Wretches & Jabberers, NCIE's Mary Schuh, PhD, and Tampa advocate Henry Frost. CARD (The Center for Autism and Related Disorders) at the University of South Florida) will host at USF's Marshall Hall.
Ido In Autismland
We love Ido In Autismland, a blog by Ido a young autistic advocate who types to communicate.
It is About Respect
Respect for one another is one basic quality if we want to have meaningful conversations and relationships with other human beings. The ableism that disabled people experience is a form of disrespect.
Bureaucrats
You look at me But you don’t see me You talk about me but not to me You think you know all about me But you deny my humanity You think I don’t have wishes You believe I don’t have plans You don’t respect my basic rights According to you I should be grateful That I have a place to sleep That I have three meals a day If I say I want to go out You ignore me To you I am only a burden Too disabled to have an opinion To you I don’t count as a person
My Civil Rights
Inclusion, Martin Luther King, Jr, The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and education.
Amy Sequenzia : Friendship and Respect
It is a mistaken idea that we, autistics, lack empathy. It is also a myth that we are not social. My friends and I, we understand and respect differences. And we understand that we all have a lot to contribute, in a diversity of manners.
Amy Sequenzia: “Storm”
"Storm" a poem by autistic self-advocate Amy Sequenzia.
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
Utterly Mark : A Vermonter with autism makes his inner voice heard through film
Mark Utter sits at a computer keyboard with a broad, toothy grin, his eyes closed and head cocked slightly, as though he were listening to a muse whispering in his ear. After a long pause, he opens his eyes and, with slow, deliberate movements, pecks at the keys with a single, outstretched finger.
MyVoice AAC
MyVoice is a new app, available for Apple and Android devices, that helps people with a variety of speech and language challenges communicate more quickly and easily. MyVoice has groundbreaking features like location-awareness, downloadable phrase books and wireless customization from any web browser. With its lifelike voices and beautiful interface, MyVoice is the affordable communication aid app you've been waiting for. MyVoice is changing the world, one voice at a time. It can be a vital aid for children and adults living with: • ALS • Autism Spectrum Disorders • Aphasia, Apraxia, Ataxia, Dysarthria • Brain Cancer • Cerebral Palsy
Communicate with Me | Savarese
Last year Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN wanted to talk to me so much that he flew me to New York and got me a room at the fanciest hotel in the city, but ironically at my school, most kids choose not to talk to me at all. Why is that? Recently I surveyed some of my close friends and discovered that most people aren't sure how to talk freely to me, and I greatly decided to use their questions as the basis for this piece.
On To College : Autism Research Institute
I want to live where I feel safe and free to be myself without the stress of having to act normal. Home is safe because my mom and dad make me feel hopeful that changing people's attitudes toward nonspeaking autists is possible. As I go to college, I am hoping to create a really supportive community of fresh-thinking people who view me as caring and created as equal.
Ralph James Savarese | essayist, poet, scholar, and activist
Ralph James Savarese is the author of Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption (Other Press 2007), which Newsweek called a “real life love story and a passionate manifesto for the rights of people with neurological disabilities.” It won the Independent Publishers Gold Medal in the category of health/medicine/nutrition, and a chapter was selected as a “notable essay” in the Best American Essays series of 2004.
Carly Fleischman on 20/20
Carly Fleischmann, on 20/20 in 2009. Carly is diagnosed with autism and types to communicate. She is an incredibly intelligent self-advocate who is helping change how the world sees people who communicate differently. We are huge fans! Please check out her website for more information http://carlysvoice.com.
