Thread by @OMum22

I would like to talk a little, if you will bear with me, about power and platforming.

#AutismDoesntEndAtFord #onpoli

https://twitter.com/A4AOntario/status/1190109708968968192

I am a non-autistic parent of autistic children. I’m a pretty poor, disabled woman who is tired 24/7. But I have tons of privilege - white privilege, educational privilege and in the context of autism policy, parental privilege.

I’ve decided to leverage the privilege I do have to:

1) boost autistic voices with respect to autism policy specifically, and autism in general.
2) support autistic-led organizations as much as I can and
3) demonstrate that there are parents of autistic kids who oppose ABA

You may have heard the press being referred to as “the fourth estate”

This is because the press (and media generally) is supposed to provide a check and a balance against other centres of power. They are *supposed* to speak truth to power and elevate the voice of the powerless.

If the #onpoli media were to do their job, they would elevate and centre organizations like @A4AOntario when it comes to autism policy, because A4 has little to no actual power.

A term that first arose in the 1960s was “the fifth estate”. This is where organizations who are outside the realms of power utilize social media and blogs to claim their own voice. @A4AOntario does a great job of doing that, especially when #onpoli media excludes them.

When #onpoli media give a platform to people who already have privilege and power, like white men, cis people, abled parents, they are failing to do their job.

And when white, cis, male academics, who are the virtual embodiment of power and privilege, complain about @A4AOntario being given a platform, in my view it’s pretty gross.