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With Autism Speaks founder Bob Wright also serving as NBC’s CEO having served as NBC leadership (CEO) for more than 20 years, Autism Speaks has a lot of mainstream media influence. Many people rock puzzle piece gear without realizing that Autism Speaks is an organization that denies the voice of autistic people (they do not have a single autistic person on its board of directors or leadership), uses scare tactics to make the autism narrative one to be pitied and hated (see latest PSA below), and supports an eugenic cure-based agenda that focuses on eradicating autism (instead of viewing autism and nuerodiversity as a natural part of human diversity).

(Transcript available here)

By saying things like “I [autism] will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams” and “and if you are happily married, I will make sure that your marriage fails”, Autism Speaks’ latest PSA, “I Am Autism” is unacceptable. The autistic self advocate community has had enough of this organization that claims to speak for them.  If you are in Portland this weekend, please contact Elesia at elesia.ashkenaz@gmail.com to find out how you can support autistic people in their fight for self-determination. The time is now, folks!

from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network:

Hello,

As many of you are aware, Autism Speaks sunk to a new low this week – even for them! The “I am Autism” campaign repeats the same tired old lies as the NYU Child Study Center’s Ransom Notes ads, which our community successfully stopped in 2007, and goes even further, presenting Autistic people as useless burdens on society, on our families and on the world at large. ” “I am autism. I have no interest in right or wrong. I will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams….And if you’re happily married, I will make sure that your marriage fails. Your money will fall into my hands, and I will bankrupt you for my own self-gain,” says the video campaign. Full text is available here. As we did in response to the “Ransom Notes” ads, we are preparing a joint letter from the disability community in response to these horrific statements, which we hope to have available early next week. If you are connected to an organization that might be interested in signing on to such a letter, please e-mailinfo@autisticadvocacy.org immediately.

In addition, we are encouraging people to act immediately by joining ASAN in writing singer Bruce Springsteen, scheduled to participate in an Autism Speaks fundraiser in November, to end his newfound association with this organization that devalues our lives and speaks about us without us. You can contact Springsteen’s publicist at mlaverty@shorefire.com or by phone at 718….

Finally, as we mentioned in our initial press release this morning, ASAN Activists and allies are preparing to confront Autism Speaks fundraising in their own communities. If you would be willing to organize a protest in your community, whether you are a self advocate, family member or other ally, please e-mail us at info@autisticadvocacy.org. There has never been a more important time for our community to assert our voice. Please help distribute this message.

Thank you and, as always, Nothing About Us, Without Us!

Regards,
Ari Ne’eman
President
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
info@autisticadvocacy.org
732.763.5530

NOTE: ASAN’s Portland chapter is preparing a protest of Autism Speaks’ walk in Portland will be held this Saturday. To participate, please contact elesia.ashkenaz@gmail.com. ASAN’s Columbus chapter has been granted a permit to protest Autism Speaks’ October 11th walk. To participate, please contact myergeau@gmail.com. More protests are being planned. To plan a protest in your local community, please contact info@autisticadvocacy.org

A few hours after the Autistic Self Advocacy Network
wrote to the Autism Society of America York Chapter (ASA York) about a billboard that dangerously compared autism to a national kidnapping emergency and uses puzzle piece symbolism [not being a whole person], they received a response saying that the billboard would be taken down.

Excerpt of the letter ASAN sent to ASA-York:

As we, Autistic adults and youth ourselves, attempt to assert our voices in the national conversation about us, we find ourselves characterized by those who often speak on our behalf as burdens on society, as not fully present within our own bodies and as individuals devoid of the full measure of personhood and humanity. Such mischaracterization threatens our efforts to be included in our homes, our schools, our communities and our collective society. By making the autism message one of fear, stigma and hostage-taking rather than one of civil rights, inclusion and support for all, our desire to be recognized as full and equal citizens in our communities is hurt.

Picture of the billboard:

Reads: If 1 in 150 American were kidnapped, we'd have a national emergency. We do. Autism.

Last year it took 21 disability organizations campaigning together via blogs, mainstream media, and thousands of phone calls and letters to have similar billboards taken down. In a time where disabled people are the last to be seen as experts of their own lives and where the public understanding of autism is strongly shaped by those with eugenic “cure”- oriented perspective (e.g. Autism Speaks, Jenny McCarthy), let’s celebrate self-determination being recognized and autistic self advocates being heard!

The response to ASAN from ASA-York President Amy Wallace:

Dear Friends in the Autism Community,
Regretfully it has been brought to the attention of the Autism Society of America – York Chapter – that our recent billboard campaign has caused undesirable confusion within the community. The intention of the billboard campaign was aimed at generating awareness to the general public and was in no way created to cause a malicious stir within the community. As a parent of a severely affected nine year old with Autism I can truly understand your passion regarding advocacy and respect for our children.

We thank you for your thoughts and concerns. I apologize for the misunderstanding and want you to know we will promptly remove the billboard posting.

Respectfully yours,

Amy Wallace

To email Amy and thank the ASA York chapter for taking the billboard down, email her at amywallace3@gmail.com

Big ups to ASAN and autistic independent media makers (Joe, Abfh, Nicocoer) who made this happen!

h/t to Kay at the Gimp Parade, Bev at Asperger Square 8, Ettina at Abnormaldiversity, Kaissane at Rettdevil’s Rants, Kristina Chew at Autism Vox, Hymes at Charlottesville Prejudice Watch, Stephen at Not Dead Yet’s blog and Anne at the Justice for All Blog:

Above are billboards and posters that the NYU Child Study Center is using. Besides the fact that these posters are inaccurate and exploitive, these posters portray some of the worst stereotypes about disabled people– that we’re not in our bodies, that we’re a detriment to others, that we’re tied to a pathetic fate, the list goes on and on. And as horrible as these posters are, this scare tactic is not new at all: much of the telethons used in the past (including the MDA Telethon) have a cure-it-before-you-catch-it message. Below is the message from Ari Ne’eman, president of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network. They are saying that 700 million people should see these ads. I hope you will send a note to the Center (information below) telling them this is NOT okay.

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