How are autism oppression efforts still alive today, and what can we do to combat them?
By Rhys Allison, TWR Fellow ‘20
What is Autism Awareness Day?
April 2 is also called Autism Awareness Day — in fact, the whole month is considered to be Autism Awareness Day. As a result, you will probably see people with blue or puzzle piece ribbons, people calling for donations for organizations like Autism Speaks, and campaigns calling for you to #LightItUpBlue.
However, for those of us within the Autistic community, Autism Awareness Day is not a great or positive experience, and that is because of the history of the date and the movement and what it has historically meant to our community.
What is the History Behind It?
Autism Awareness Day was passed by the UN on the 18th of December, 2007, and is currently observed by all member states as part of the UN’s initiative to:
{1} affirm human rights and freedoms for people with disabilities
{2} raise awareness that Autism happens across all social lines
{3} address the care for people with disabilities
The ultimate goal of the day was to raise awareness of Autism. However, many people in the Autistic community itself feel like we have moved past the need for simple awareness but believe that we should instead move for acceptance or empathy. This is especially poignant because the movement for Autism Awareness has historically framed Autism as a tragedy and attempted to research for a cure.
The most familiar part of Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness is Autism Speaks. For many people not in the know, Autism Speaks seems like a legitimate, trusted organization that helps the Autistic community. However, they are historically huge proponents of the search for a cure, and they have also supported Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. ABA therapy is considered to be an abusive practice that dehumanizes Autistic children and comes from the same practices as gay conversion therapy. Even Autism Speaks’ logo has negative connotations — the idea behind the puzzle piece is that Autistic children are somehow missing a piece or broken, which is just false and dehumanizing. While Autism Speaks has since rebranded and changed its mission toward support instead of a cure, it is still looked at with suspicion — especially since it has not gotten rid of the puzzle piece logo.
How is the Past Still Present?
The eugenics movement informs the idea of looking for a cure for Autism, which has been a major focus of the Autism Awareness movement. Even though the goal of the movement has transitioned away from looking for a cure, the Autistic community is still very aware of that legacy, and we need to make sure that that knowledge informs the activism we do. We need to make sure that we do not perpetuate the idea of looking for a cure but prioritize finding resources and educating families on how to be better advocates and allies.
What Can We Do to Better Support the Autistic Community?
Whether or not you continue to support the day is up to you, but you should at least be aware of the history behind it and not get taken in by the craze around Autism Speaks and #LightItUpBlue. The community still needs support; we just need to be conscientious about whom we give it to. There are many other initiatives you can support instead for Autism Awareness Day:
Instead of Autism Speaks, try: Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
Instead of the puzzle piece, try: The neurodiversity infinity sign
Instead of #LightItUpBlue, try: #RedInstead or #ToneItDownTaupe
Whatever you decide to do for Autism Awareness Day, listen to Autistic self-advocates. Autistic self-advocates will always be the best resource on what you can do to help out.
Rhys Allison, they/them pronouns, is a YAN Fellow and a senior in Philosophy at George Mason University. They enjoy writing, art, and their cat. They plan on going to grad school in Philosophy and Social Policy.
Banner Image Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/f8ddvf/made_my_own_version_of_a_common_symbol_for_autism/