Autism Speaks ‘I am Autism’: A short response.
Since time immemorial, people with disabilities, whether mental or physical, have been the subject of scorn, ridicule, fear, demonization, intolerance, ostracism, social and economic marginalization, and, all too often, outright indifference – These practices have been universal and no nation on earth is guilt free (Beverly & Alvarez, 2003).
The current campaign being run by Autism Speaks perpetuates these age old practices on every level and is a step back into the veritable dark ages of the experience of disability (bearing in mind disabled people have only just come into the light). In a turn out for the books even the USA, Autism Speaks’ own home country has recently signed The UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, which by the way the ‘I am Autism’ video directly contravenes.
See for example Article 7.3:
States Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, on an equal basis with other children, and to be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance to realize that right.
In ‘developed’ countries the disability rights movement has history spaning over 50 years, a movement that has fought for the rights of people with disabilities, having them enshrined in law, further, demanding social, cultural and economic changes that enable full participation in society. Implicit in the actions of this rights movement is the fundamental idea that people with disabilities are in fact equal as human beings not, lesser beings, animal- like, feeble, immoral, defective or subjects of demonic possession (some of the preferred terms of the 19th and early 20th centuries). Autism Speaks members seem to have been sleeping whilst the enlightenment occurred because they don’t seem to understand the fundamental rights of all people to live is a society free from discrimination and in particular hate speech. Replace the word autism in the video ‘I am Autism’ with any other characteristic or condition experienced by the human race and there would be outrage. Disabled people feel that often their experience is last frontier in terms of discrimination; if this is the case then autism remains a further frontier within the last frontier.
This is a good post, Katharine. I just watched the Autism Speaks vid and tried to see both sides of the story. If the aim was to shock, to stir emotions, to raise debate, to describe the daily difficulties that are faced by some (SOME) families who have children with Autism – well, it did its job. But at what price?
With you, I am not sure that the video is not sending us backward instead of forward in helping others see children, adults, people, rather than “Autism”. Perhaps we need to recognise that “demonising” Autism will inevitably have a flow-on effect on the way those who live with the condition are percieved.
Just my thoughts…..
Great post & point of view Katharine. As an autistic adult as well as parenting a child on the spectrum, this video is disturbing on numerous levels.
IMO it can’t be overlooked that Autism Speaks has set themselves up for a thunderous backlash simply based upon their organizational politics. To begin with, how can Autism Speaks purport to speak for autistics when they refuse to allow individuals on the spectrum to have a voice in their organization?
Who do they think these children with autism are growing up to be? I can answer it for them in 1 word. These children are growing up to be ME! That’s right, ME and millions of other autistic adults who are exercising our right to be heard and have a voice in matters that affect us directly.
Autism Speaks gained momentous ground by being the first autism organization of it’s kind, it remains in the forefront due to it’s political affiliations, and we will witness their inevitable demise as they will not be able to sustain their level of discrimination against individuals with autism, because we will not allow them to do so.
It’s fairly simple folks, “Nothing About Us Without Us!” End of story.
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