Hello friends!

It’s an unfortunate reality that higher education wasn’t built to include disabled people, and those of us with the privilege to make it there often have to fight for inclusion. That’s why ASAN’s Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) program is so important. It helps empower autistic students to develop a community where we don’t have to fight alone and can work to make college more accessible for everyone, all at no cost to the participants, thanks to donations from the community.

When I attended ACI, I experienced something special: a space where I didn’t have to fight to belong. As an autistic trans person in Texas, I’m used to hiding parts of myself and being othered, but in ACI I was free to just be me.

ACI taught me about the history of the disability rights and neurodiversity movements, the principles of disability justice, how to advocate and organize effectively, and how to build inclusive communities. ACI gave me more than just an education – it gave me a sense of belonging and the tools to act.

Now, I’m using those tools to advocate for including disability justice and anti-ableist frameworks into my university’s Master of Social Work program, empower the disability vote with the REV UP Coalition here in Texas, work with a coalition to recover Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiatives in Texas schools, and continuing to fight for trans rights.

Through my practicum with a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program, where self-advocacy is a core discipline, I’ve seen the impact of ASAN and the self-advocacy movement. I’ve been able to share ASAN’s resources with providers and educators and I’m working on making an accessible disaster preparedness guide using ASAN’s easy read guide. Most importantly, thanks to the work of self-advocates, I’ve gotten to meet autistic kids who won’t have to grow up being told that their lives are a “tragedy” in need of a “cure.”

We face an uncertain future where essential government programs, as well as reproductive rights and access to gender-affirming healthcare, are at risk of being attacked, all while hate and misinformation continue to rise. However, if there’s one thing I learned from ACI, it’s that liberation for all disabled people is possible as long as we work in solidarity and never forget that “nothing about us without us” means all of us.

Now more than ever, we need advocates prepared to fight for our rights. Your support can help make that happen. Please consider making a donation, joining ASAN’s membership program, sharing ASAN’s resources, and be sure to check out ASAN’s Action Center for opportunities and resources to help.

Thanks,

Autumn Lauener (they/she)

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035

 

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