Dear friend,

As 2024 comes to a close, we’re looking back at everything we’ve built together over the past year — and with your help, the work for 2025 is already stacking up! Every block, every brick, every donation helps us lay the foundation for a world where autistic voices are heard, valued, and empowered to create change. Thanks to your generous support so far, we’ve raised $54,960 and started paving the way forward for our advoca-city. Check out the progress below!

This year, like every year, we were able to create many toolkits and resources thanks to our community. Every piece of progress — no matter how big or small — makes a difference. Together, we’re building something powerful, and with your continued support, we can release even more resources to keep our community informed about their rights and the fights ahead! 

In 2024, ASAN released toolkits in plain language, Easy Read, and video formats to make sure our community can protect each other and build on the progress we've made together.

• We added two new additions to our Proud and Supported Series; one called A Self-Advocate’s Guide to Gender Affirming Health Care and another called Barriers to Gender Affirming Health Care. These toolkits discuss what gender affirming health care is, issues people with IDD often face when trying to gain access, and more!
• In July, we celebrated the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a new video series called "A Self-Advocate's Guide to the Americans with Disabilities Act." This video series is an adaptation of our Easy Read and Plain Language toolkit of the same name.
• In February, we released a webinar based on our COVID-19 and Mpox toolkits called "COVID-19 and Mpox: Reducing the spread of transmissible diseases in our communities."
• After many months of extensive literature review, a review of state services, and interviews with experts, including people who use behavior support services, we released Beyond Coercion and Institutionalization: People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Need for Improved Behavior Support Services. This important toolkit takes a deeper look at the history of behavior supports, what’s available today, and what needs to change. We even held a webinar on this topic at our 2024 Gala!

As we look forward to 2025, we know that the road ahead isn’t going to be easy. The fight for disability rights is far from over, and as policies continue to shift, so do the challenges we face. That’s why we’re asking for your help to keep building: every donation you make goes directly into strengthening our foundation for the future and putting accessible resources in the hands of self-advocates. Your support fuels our advocacy, sustains our community programs, and powers our mission to create a society where all autistic people can thrive. So let’s keep building! With each donation, you’re adding another brick to our foundation — a foundation that ensures autistic people have the resources, rights, and respect they deserve.

Thank you for being part of this community and helping us create something truly remarkable. Let's make 2025 even better, one building block at a time! Will you join us in stacking up our goals in the year to come?

With gratitude,

The Team at ASAN

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035

 

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