Been chatting to someone who's been an autistic activist for about 20 years now. Lots of conferences, long history of writing about autism, but doesn't know any nonspeaking autistic people in his country as they "tend not to mix at conferences". DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM?
If you're autistic and you've been doing conference and writing gigs for two decades and the nonspeakers are not mixing, it's because YOU didn't seek them out, YOU didn't advocate for communication access, and yeah, I understand that you may have other advocacy priorities, but...
Who in your country is going to prioritise this, and in what decade do you expect them to start thinking about it?
Communication is a human right, but for 20-odd years it didn't bother you that your neurosiblings' priorities are nowhere on your collective autism agenda? It's not like nonspeaking people are rare among autists.
Nonspeaking autistic people around the world are going to live and die in your generation, without communication, without ever being truly known even to those closest to them, but this is OK for you?
Look. I know you can't do everything. The world's wars and famines are real and urgent. But people ARE aware, and there is effort directed at those things. Who's going to direct effort towards nonspeaking autistic people's rights in your country, if not you?
In March 2017, none of this existed in my country. 🇿🇦 We listened to nonspeaking autistic people in America, about what helped them. Today, 4 years later, I'm collaborating with local nonspeakers to set up a joint advocacy and friendship group.
https://twitter.com/ekverstania/status/1378353804958179336?s=19
It happened because we MADE it happen. Nonspeaking autistic people, autists who speak, parents, therapists, teachers, even a brave employee at a traditional autism organisation, we MADE it happen.
Who are the nonspeaking autistic advocates in your country? 🇦🇩🇦🇪🇦🇫🇦🇬🇦🇱🇦🇲🇦🇴🇦🇷🇦🇸🇦🇹🇦🇺🇦🇼🇦🇽🇦🇿🇧🇦🇧🇧🇧🇩🇧🇪🇧🇫🇧🇬🇧🇭🇧🇮🇧🇳🇧🇴🇧🇷🇧🇸🇧🇹🇧🇻🇧🇼🇧🇾🇨🇨🇨🇩🇨🇫🇨🇬🇨🇭🇨🇮🇨🇱🇨🇲🇨🇳🇨🇴🇨🇵🇨🇷🇨🇺🇨🇻🇨🇼🇨🇿🇩🇪🇩🇯🇩🇰🇩🇲🇩🇴🇩🇿🇪🇦🇪🇨🇪🇪🇪🇬🇪🇷🇪🇸🇪🇹🇫🇮🇫🇴🇫🇷🇬🇦🇬🇧🇬🇪🇬🇭🇬🇮🇬🇲🇬🇳🇬🇶🇬🇷🇬🇹🇬🇼🇬🇾🇭🇲🇭🇳🇭🇷🇭🇹🇭🇺🇮🇨🇮🇩🇮🇪🇮🇱🇮🇲🇮🇳🇮🇴🇯🇵🇮🇷🇮🇸🇮🇹🇯🇲🇯🇴🇯🇵🇰🇪🇰🇬🇰🇭🇰🇮🇰🇲🇰🇳🇰🇵🇰🇷🇰🇼🇰🇿🇱🇦🇱🇺🏴🏴🏴🇿🇲?
Follow @AutisticSpeak, the first and only organisation founded by a nonspeaking autistic person to champion the cause of nonspeaking autists in Africa.
Being tied to a tree or locked in a room every day is not a human right.
Behaviour therapy isn't a human right.
Having your autism exorcised isn't a human right.
Communication is a human right.
Behaviour therapy isn't a human right.
Having your autism exorcised isn't a human right.
Communication is a human right.
If you can't find the nonspeaking autistic writers in your country, it's because you are not giving them access to communication based on what nonspeakers elsewhere recommend.
People with communication disabilities are among the most marginalised people in the world. In Haiti, they straight up kill people for being Deaf. Who's working to change this? Who's petitioning? Other Deaf people.
https://twitter.com/Freelove19xx/status/1411058184882638850?s=19
Support Deaf activists. Deaf advocates paved the way for where we are in many aspects of autism advocacy today. They taught us what to expect of the ableists in power.
idoinautismland.com/?p=924
idoinautismland.com/?p=924
Autistic people who speak are essential to driving the cause of nonspeaker rights. #ListenToNonspeakers and share their words.
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