Letter to E. Gordon Gee on Autism Speaks Walk

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http://asancentralohio.blogspot.com/2008/11/letter-to-president-e-gordon-gee.htm\

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On October 12, 2008, Autism Speaks held a walk on the Ohio State University

campus <http://www.walknowforautism.org/site/c.ddKFIMNrEqG/b.4045185/>, and

President Gee presided as the honorary chair. During his speech, Gee

claimed, " It [autism] should not exist. " A letter to Gee, written by an OSU

student with Asperger's, follows.

12 November 2008

E. Gordon Gee, President

205 Bricker Hall

190 North Oval Mall

The Ohio State University

Columbus, OH 43210

Dear President Gee:

I am writing in regards to statements made at the Autism Speaks walk held on

campus this past October 12. My name is Yergeau, and I am a

second-year Ph.D. student in English. My area of focus is disability

studies, and I have Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism.

Ohio State has a small but burgeoning community of autistic students, and

many of us were dismayed at your call to " cure " autism during the event on

October 12. Though several autistics from our campus group were in

attendance at the rally, I was not. As with many others on the autism

spectrum, I do not feel that Autism Speaks speaks for autistic individuals.

I was, however, saddened by The Lantern's emphasis on one of your remarks at

the rally, during which you claimed, " It [autism] should not exist. "

Many—and I would argue most—autistics do not want to be cured. Both high-

and low-functioning individuals on the spectrum understand autism as their

unique way of perceiving the world (e.g., Baggs, D.J. Savarese).

Autism is a part of who I am: remove the autism and you remove me.

I have waited a month to send this letter because, I admit, I am so very

close to this subject. However, a non-autistic Master's student in social

work suggested that you might not realize that autistics do attend Ohio

State, that more of us enter the university everyday. And in further

contemplating this, I realized that perhaps you have been thrown into this

autism debate without realizing that it is, indeed, a debate.

Until very recently, I have felt incredibly welcome at Ohio State—due to the

interdisciplinary work of the Disability Studies Program and the Department

of English, the Office of Disability Services, and the programs for

high-functioning/Asperger's adults at the Nisonger Center. I would urge you,

as you continue in your autism advocacy, to consider what cure means to

autistic individuals themselves, to familiarize yourself with organizations

that actually appoint autistic individuals to their executive boards (e.g.,

the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, or the Global and Regional Asperger

Syndrome Partnership). In this regard, I find it important to note that none

of the leadership or board positions of Autism Speaks are occupied by

autistics: Autism Speaks speaks about autistics rather than for or with

autistics.

As I read articles and listen to reports of the rally from my saddened

autistic friends, I've noticed a trend in representation at Autism Speaks

rallies like the one on October 12, 2008: autistics themselves have no

voice. Any conversation that determines the fate of autism, I would argue,

must consider the opinions, voices (however literally or metaphorically),

and experiences of those on the autism spectrum. Although Autism Speaks

admirably aims to help families attain necessary medical services, their

cure-and-epidemic rhetoric frequently denies autistic individuals a most

fundamental right—that of their personhood.

I have written this letter to you personally because I would like to think

that the president of the university I attend might not refer to autistics

as pitiable people in need of cures and able-bodied heroes, but rather as

full and contributing members of the university community. Only when we

acknowledge that the conversation on autism must, of necessity, include

autistics can we begin to help all those affected by autism to lead

productive and fulfilling lives. It is my hope that you might not only speak

as a university president on issues of autism, but as a role model for those

within the autistic community.

Sincerely,

Yergeau

Department of English

421 Denney Hall

164 W. 17th Ave

Columbus, OH 43210

yergeau.1@...

CC: Brueggemann, Coordinator of the Disability Studies Program,

Department of English