As a disabled person, my biggest concern is not "stigma." It's structural oppression. Absolutely, these things are related to/reinforce each other! But someone’s feelings about my disability become way less dangerous when they aren’t backed up by violent systems, you know? (1/3)
Disabled ppl have been saying this for a long time. We want rights, not smiles. We need funders, policymakers, & the general public to think about why they're so much more comfortable talking about stigma instead of structural violence. And we need y’all to get it together. (2/3)
And I’ll give you a hint! It’s because talking about ending stigma is very similar to conversations about being nice to people with disabilities. And that’s familiar, comforting territory for y’all. And that’s nice. But we need justice. (3/3)
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So, this study shows that autistic toddlers may (small sample size, needs replication, etc) have brains where sensory networks are more connected than the brains of NT toddlers. I want to talk about how these findings are presented. (1/7) spectrumnews.org/news/sensory-n…
The autistic toddlers’ brains have more connections in sensory networks. They are "overconnected." God forbid we ever have a neutral or even positive difference. If there were less, we’d be “underconnected.” The right amount of connections is the number the NT brain makes. (2/7)
But even more troubling is this quote from the lead investigator. "Their brain is busy with things it shouldn’t be busy with.”
This is how she chooses to characterize results that may help explain and validate the sensory experiences many autistic people report. (3/7)
(2) The role of many nondisabled people in supporting and feeding that industry, even if they aren't aware of it, and of pushing the young PWD in their lives in that direction. (2/n)
(3) How *young* PWD start getting pushed into inspiration porn in an organized way (I know of workshops for *middle schoolers* with ID on how to Tell Your Story To Inspire Others) (3/n)
The Biden disability plan is up. It is solid. There is some exciting stuff. It's much more moderate than the Castro, Warren, or Sanders plans. #CripTheVotejoebiden.com/disabilities/
Exciting stuff:
--Lots of stuff the agencies can do regardless of Congress
--Including addressing guardianship!
--A White House Domestic Policy Council member focused on disability (this sounds boring but is really important and we've been asking for it for years #CripTheVote
More exciting stuff:
--Big focus on competitive integrated employment and ending subminimum wage
--Addressing violence, including sexual & domestic violence, against people with disabilities
--Supporting higher education for students with intellectual disabilities #CripTheVote
Mel's blog was one of the first things I found when I was googling "autism" at 15 years old, scared and not knowing what was going on with me or what kind of future I would be allowed to have. (1/4)
Mel's writings showed me that I would be okay, that there was a whole world of people like me out there, that we were worth defending and celebrating. I am struggling to find the words to describe the impact Mel had on my life. (2/4)
Over the years, Mel's example taught me disability pride, the importance of standing with our siblings with intellectual disabilities, and what it looked like to not leave anyone behind. I am who I am and I am doing what I am doing, in large part, because of Mel. (3/4)
You still haven't apologized for "Autism Every Day," where a leader in your organization talked about fantasizing about killing her daughter while her daughter was in the room. You haven't apologized for Suzanne Wright's op-ed comparing autism to domestic violence. (1/2)
You haven't acknowledged, apologized, or in any way taken responsibility for the huge role that your organization, specifically, has played in directly increasing stigma and fear of autistic people through years of PSAs and damaging rhetoric. (2/3)
This is a really strong disability plan. It isn't perfect--no plan has been--and it definitely has its quirks, but it's incredibly ambitious, and I'd definitely put it in the top 2. (1/4)
It's been really great to see a virtuous cycle this campaign with candidates essentially competing to have the best disability plan. Things no one would commit to 6 months ago are now standard. (2/4)
The scope of what counts as a "disability issue" has also really broadened. Plans are now naming us in their proposals on criminal justice, climate change, immigration, infrastructure, and more. We are being taken more and more seriously. (3/4)