Thread by @au_louise

THREAD! Consolidating past tweets about @CASDA's #NationalAutismStrategy. Don't support them. They do not have the #ActuallyAutistic community's best interests at heart.

I'm building on reasons opposing them articulated here by @A4AOntario: a4aontario.com/2019/10/08/can…

[1] Does @ASDalliance reach out to #ActuallyAutistic adults and Autistic-led organizations in Canada in its strategic planning? Nope! They do not have our best interests at heart. Don't support them.

[2] Does @CASDA invite partnerships, delegated owner, control of the design, planning, policymaking, managing resources and efforts, and evaluation, with Autistic adults and Autistic-led organizations in Canada? Nope! Don't support them. They do not have our best interests.

[3] How is @ASDalliance's membership/stakeholders led (i.e. who sits on the board? P.S. 50% is the best practise in disabled-peoples organizations). Is it so? Nope! They do not have our best interests at heart. Don't support them.

[4] Is @ASDalliance's current practices in line with the #ActuallyAutistic community's expectations of allyship and disability justice? Nope! They do not have our best interests at heart. Stop supporting them.

[5] How mature is @ASDalliance in understanding participation with our marginalized community? Is power delegated? (No). Are Autistics and our Autistic-led organizations partnered with? (No). Informing and consultations (even here, it's deplorable) are not mature practices.

[6] Does @ASDalliance honour the insights and full engagement of our #ActuallyAutistic community members and Autistic-led orgs in creating collaborative spaces for all the issues that keep us marginalized? Nope! Stop supporting them. They do not have our best interests at heart.

[7] @ASDalliance Did you know? Allies are ultimately consented to by those on the margins. #ActuallyAutistic people and Autistic-led organizations do not consent to your leadership imposed on our community. You're not an ally. We don't support you.

[8] @ASDalliance Did you know? Handing over the microphone for our #ActuallyAutistic voices and our leadership is about YOU! If you cannot do so, then you care more about your power and privilege than about the best interests of our community.

[9] @ASDalliance Did you know? Allyship 101: No body or mind can be left behind in creating spaces for advocacy and activism. We #ActuallyAutistic people bring our collective, shared experiences, to move the needle towards equality for our community. So, why are we left out?

[10] @ASDalliance Did you know? Being a good ally means believing our narrative. So, if #ActuallyAutistic people and Autistic-led organizations are protesting what you are, who you are, and what you are doing, you've got a problem.

[11] @ASDalliance Did you know? Allyship 101. You are not an ally if you refuse to acknowledge the validity of #ActuallyAutistic Autistic persons' opinions or ideas and our Autistic-led organizations.

[12] @ASDalliance Did you know? Allyship 101: You are not an ally if you routinely take the self-expressions of #ActuallyAutistic people as personal attacks on you, and make yourself the victim of hurt feelings in any conversation. ("Tone policing").

[13] @ASDalliance Did you know? Allyship 101: You don't get to be an ally by calling yourself or thinking you are one.

We and we alone get to determine who our allies are. #ActuallyAutistic

[14] @ASDalliance Did you know? Allyship 101: allies pass on the microphone and amplify our voices and leadership? This you do not understand or worse, you do not have our best interests at heart and refuse to do so.

[15] @ASDalliance Did you know? Allyship 101: allies do not point to one or a handful of community members and exclaim they have the support of our community. "Tokenism". You don't have this support.

[16] @ASDalliance Allyship 101: Allies recognizes that the balance of power has historically marginalized and excluded #ActuallyAutistic people. Allies support our empowerment in words and actions and giving us the mantle of leadership. This you won't do.

[17] @ASDalliance By now it should be clear that an ally is someone or an organization that aligns with the #ActuallyAutistic community and not someone or org who aligns with someone else, not someone who is in control of the conversation or relationship from the start.

[18] By the way, how much does the @ASDalliance board leadership make in monies to not represent and actively silence our #ActuallyAutistic community and our Autistic-led organizations and voices? Ha!

@ASDalliance does not have our best interests at heart. Don't support them.

[19] Hmm? I've used the term disability justice earlier and how @CASDA does not abide by its principles? Made this image to help understand what that is:

[20] [Image description of the 10 disability justice principles, black font on white background, title: Disability justice: Disability justice is a framework that examines disability and ableism as it relates to other forms of oppression and identity. Author: me]

[21] Oh sweet! A petition I can support on this issue: change.org/p/government-o…

[22] Well, that's the end of this thread. Please retweet to those who need to hear these reasons and the reasons why every Canadian Autistic-led advocacy organizations oppose @ASDalliance and their #NationalAutismStrategy. We can do disability policy in Canada better.