End Game for Awareness?

In the Examiner, Lisa Jo Rudy asks, Autism awareness: can there be too much? questioning whether we've done enough awareness, and whether there is such a thing as too much. Rudy concludes, "At a certain point, I think we've done the work of building autism awareness. The next challenge is tougher: building the infrastructure, acceptance and support we need to help our autistic loved ones live their lives fully - and happily."

Rudy's recent blog post made me immediately recall an article I read last year around this time. The article was not written by the usual someone-engaged-in-"autism advocacy" in any sense of the phrase, but by a member of the general public. This is someone who wasn't, theoretically, "aware" of autism before being "made aware."

Nick Jamison who wrote the piece Autism hyperbole and national hysteria basically echoed Rudy's question, with more than a little justified irritation,

We already know autism exists; give us something we can work with. If the autism front wants to put us through a year of sappy ads and TV specials, than at least make it worth the time and money and headache. Teach us something. I was on my way to New York City this weekend and every toll booth was littered with autism propaganda. Did I learn anything? No. There are more intelligent ways to get out a message to the public.

And honestly, do we really need a national concern at the moment? We have the war, the economy, the fuel crisis, and "The Office" is back with new episodes. My schedule is booked. Autism should save their money and put it towards research, or get the kids some Pokemon cards.

There was definitely a time when no one had really heard of autism. And there definitely were enormous problems with that. But that time, as a quick google for the "the A word" attests, is long past. The public's attention has definitely been engaged. Now are we going to use that productively to improve the quality of life of autistic people and their families, or just wait for the public to get (justifiably) irritated at hearing the same messages repeated over and over? Is there something new the public can learn from "awareness" or have they heard it all before? Even if there is little concern over the damage pity messages can do to autistic and other disabled people, there should at least be some questioning of whether there is an end game to the "awareness" at all other than saturation, irritation, and ultimately polarity and hostility.