fyi- autism speaks

[Guest guest]

Autism Speaks raises a lot of money - the NJSFWC supports Autism NJ (

COSAC) - a completely different organization - t

Terry - I got this from a client, do you know anything about this?

-----fyi...

This is the exact reason, I am so against the school insisting my son know

the word Autism.

JFActivist: Tell Autism Speaks: Nothing About Us Without Us!

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October 01, 2009

Tell Autism Speaks: Nothing About Us Without Us!

*** Take Action ***

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network and other organizations representing the

Cross-Disability Community are distributing this joint letter to the

sponsors, donors and supporters of Autism Speaks following the

organization's latest offensive and damaging Public Service Announcement, " I

am Autism " . If you are an organization that would like to sign on to the

letter, please e-mail ASAN at info@... before Close of

Business Tuesday, October 6th, 2009. If you are an individual who would like

to join ASAN's upcoming protests of Autism Speaks in Ohio, New England, New

York City and elsewhere across the country please e-mail ASAN at

info@... Thank you for your support and please feel free to

distribute for additional signatories.

To the Sponsors, Donors and Supporters of Autism Speaks:

We, the undersigned organizations representing self advocates, parents,

professionals and allies in the Autism, Autistic and Disability Communities,

are writing to you to express our concern about the recent actions of Autism

Speaks. Our work is about helping empower and support people with

disabilities of all kinds, including adults and youth on the autism

spectrum, and we recognize that there are a wide variety of means towards

accomplishing this goal. Yet, Autism Speaks' recent choice to use fear,

stigma, misinformation and prejudice against Autistic people as a

fundraising tool does real damage to people with disabilities everywhere.

The most recent example of this lack of ethics can be found in Autism Speaks'

new " I am Autism " campaign which states, " I am autism...I know where you

live...I work faster than pediatric AIDS, cancer and diabetes combined. 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...I will make it virtually impossible for your family to easily

attend a temple, birthday party, or public park without a struggle, without

embarrassment, without pain...I am autism. I have no interest in right or

wrong. I derive great pleasure out of your loneliness. "

Not only does this campaign rely on offensive stereotypes and inaccurate

information (research indicates that parents of Autistic children are not

more likely to divorce than parents of non-Autistic children), but it also

does real damage to the cause of disability rights. By choosing to portray

Autistic people as husks of real people, stolen out of our own bodies,

Autism Speaks reinforces stereotypes and prejudice against people with

disabilities that have existed for centuries and have been the source of

pain, segregation and violence.

We are calling on you to end your support for Autism Speaks and to find new

ways to show your support for Autistic people and others with disabilities.

As the result of a pattern of unethical behavior and irresponsible

governance, outlined below, we believe that Autism Speaks as an organization

no longer deserves your time, energy, money and support.

Autism Speaks uses damaging and offensive fundraising tactics which rely on

fear, stereotypes and devaluing the lives of people on the autism spectrum:

Autism Speaks' unethical fundraising tactics are not limited to the new " I

am Autism " video. Its television Public Service Announcements compare having

a child on the autism spectrum to having a child caught in a fatal car

accident or struck by lightning. In fact, the idea of autism as a fate worse

than death is a frequent theme in their fundraising and awareness efforts,

going back to their " Autism Every Day " film in 2005. Indeed, throughout

Autism Speaks' fundraising is a consistent and unfortunate theme of fear,

pity and prejudice, presenting Autistic adults and children not as full

human beings but as burdens on society that must be eliminated as soon as

possible.

Very little money donated to Autism Speaks goes toward helping Autistic

people and families: According to their 2008 annual report, only 4% of

Autism Speaks' budget goes towards the " Family Service " grants that are the

organization's means of funding services. Given the huge sums of money

Autism Speaks raises from local communities as compared to the miniscule

sums it gives back, it is not an exaggeration to say that Autism Speaks is a

tremendous drain on the ability of communities to fund autism

service-provision and education initiatives Furthermore, while the bulk of

Autism Speaks' budget (65%) goes toward genetic and biomedical research,

only a small minority of Autism Speaks' research budget goes towards

research oriented around improving services, supports, treatments and

educational methodologies, with most funding going towards basic research

oriented around causation and genetic research, including the prospect of

prenatal testing. Although Autism Speaks has not prioritized services with a

practical impact for families and individuals in its budget, its rates of

executive pay are the highest in the autism world, with annual salaries as

high as $600,000 a year.

Autism Speaks excludes the people it pretends to represent: Autism Speaks is

one of an increasingly few number of major disability advocacy organizations

that refuse to include any individual with the disability they purport to

serve on their board of directors or at any point in their leadership and

decision-making processes. In large part due to Autism Speaks' public

relations strategy of presenting Autistic people as silent burdens on

society rather than human beings with thoughts, feelings and opinions,

Autism Speaks' governance policies are deeply unrepresentative and out of

step with the mainstream of the disability non-profit community.

Contrary to the " I am Autism " video, which equates autism with AIDS and

Cancer, autism is not a terminal disease. It is a disability, one that comes

with significant challenges in a wide variety of realms. Yet the answer to

those challenges is not to create a world in which people are afraid of

people on the autism spectrum. The answer is not to create a world in which

the word autism is met with terror, hatred and prejudice. It is to work to

create a society that recognizes the civil rights of Autistic people and

others with disabilities. It is to work to create a world in which people

with disabilities can benefit from the supports, the services and the

educational tools necessary to empower them to be full citizens in society.

We are Autism's true voice - Autistic people and those with other

disabilities ourselves, and our allies, family members, friends and

supporters. Autism Speaks does not speak for us. We are not stolen - we are

right here. Our lives may be difficult - but they are worth living. Autism

Speaks Does Not Speak For Us and we will not work with an organization that

relies on damaging and offensive stereotypes to advance an agenda out of

step with those they purport to represent. We call upon you to recognize

this and find better avenues for your admirable desire to support Autistic

people and our families. We call upon you to end your support for Autism

Speaks.

Regards,

National:

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

ADAPT

TASH

Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund

The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN)

Autism Network International (ANI)

Little People of America (LPA)

Not Dead Yet

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Autistic Spectrum Partnership In Research and Education (AASPIRE)

Autism National Committee

Mothers From Hell 2

International:

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network-Australia

Autism Rights Group Highland (in Scotland, United Kingdom)

The Autistic Community of Israel

Autreach IT in the United Kingdom

The Southwest Autistic Rights Movement (SWARM) in the United Kingdom

Local and Regional:

ADAPT-Montana

The Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, NY

The Regional Center for Independent Living in Rochester, NY

The Michigan Disability Rights Coalition

The Institute for Disability Access in Austin, Texas

The land Coalition for Inclusive Education

The Paraquad Center for Independent Living in St. Louis, Missouri

The Lonesome Doves in Pennsylvania

TASH-New England

Together Enhancing Autism Awareness in Mississippi (TEAAM)

Wesleyan Students for Disability Rights at Wesleyan University in

Connecticut

Tangram in Indianapolis, Indiana

Posted at 01:37 PM in ***ACTION ALERTS***, Current Affairs, Discrimination,

Guest Column, Public Attitudes, Self-Advocacy | Permalink

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Comments

What a shocking article! Autism Speaks is criminally discriminatory, and

banally cruel. Autism Speaks " sounds like " those against health care reform

in " DC " - are they one in the same?

This has, indeed, broken my heart for many days to come - how anyone, or any

group in the nation could put out such hostile and harmful words is beyond

my comprehension. Most of us know that serious discrimination does exist,

and hate often prevails with those fearing our live-styles, but to become a

group, and " go public " is felonious.

We all try so hard to live, daily, and to help one another - Autism Speaks

must have their 501c3 revoked, now, and be censured by the State Attorney

General in the state is was charted, now!

Posted by: Carol - Lubbock | October 01, 2009 at 06:43 PM

I echo the sentiments of my fellow poster, Ms. Carol .

Posted by: Sprofera | October 01, 2009 at 07:12 PM

Where do I sign?

Posted by: Wang | October 01, 2009 at 08:38 PM

I don't know that Autism Speaks is the enemy. Is do know AUTISM IS THE

ENEMY.

Posted by: Chickie | October 02, 2009 at 03:48 AM

My own group know as ASPIE (Adult Autism Supports and Programs

Implemenatation Effort) would like to join the list of organizations against

this b.s. Where do we sign?

Posted by: Anonymous (In honor of ASPIE) | October 02, 2009 at 09:12 AM