When I was a small child, I learned about autism from Jim Sinclair, Ari Ne’eman, and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). ASAN made it clear that autistic people deserve respect, autonomy, and a say in our own lives. It never occurred to me that I couldn’t go to college. It was my assumption that I would. Fast forward ten years, and I still wasn’t talking or doing my basic activities of daily living, so college started to seem far-fetched. I could read, but only my parents knew it.

ASAN never lost their faith that I could learn and succeed. They were advocating for communication rights and for services and supports like the right to use AAC at home, not just at school. They fought against parents who argued that working on strengths and appreciating differences is not for people like me, a person with high support needs. ASAN has spent years fighting for policy change, training self-advocates, and pushing back against narratives that say anyone is too disabled to self-advocate. And that work isn’t abstract. It takes resources, membership, and a community of supporters who believe in our right to decide our own lives. If you are able, I hope you will consider making a donation today to sustain this work. [[link removed]] I am now fluent on a letterboard and a college student getting straight A’s. Who could have predicted that there would be more than 50 universities with nonspeaking students attending or that nonspeaking autistics would be publishing books and peer-reviewed articles?

I always wanted to be an ASAN Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) [[link removed]] program participant, but it seemed too hard to travel and to get support. But ASAN made it possible. They offered the program remotely and welcomed my support. This year I did it! I am an ACI graduate, and I am the activist that I always wanted to be.

ASAN was there for me. I want ASAN to be there for my peers. ASAN continues to fight for communication access, home- and community-based services, and the right to make our own choices. But they can’t do it alone. We need your membership and financial support [[link removed]]. Please make a gift to ensure nonspeaking autistics have an organization that has our backs.

In Service,
Rachel Kripke-Ludwig


Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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