Autism Speaks, But For Whom?
This piece was written for HatterNetwork.com.
Every April, millions of people across America participate in the philanthropy event known as Autism Awareness Month. From sharing posts on social media to “lighting it up blue,” people everywhere work tirelessly to make the world aware. Aware of autism, aware of its effects, and aware of how they, the parents and family of people with autism, are affected by it. But there’s one group who seems to be consistently missing from the conversation. Somehow, in all this talk about autism awareness, no one is aware of what people with autism have to say.
Along with Autism Awareness Month comes Autism Speaks, the most recognizable autism charity in the United States. However, although its supporters praise the organization’s “autism awareness” campaigns and grant funding for research efforts, many autistic people believe that their voices are not adequately represented by Autism Speaks, and that the group appears to speak over them rather than speaking for them. From its initial focus on curing people with autism to its systematic exclusion of autistic voices from its own board of directors, Autism Speaks has repeatedly come under fire from the very community it claims to represent.
Read more on HatterNetwork.com.