More Important News

Earlier this week I snarked a little on autism news stories. Woke up this morning asking myself, What do you think should be hightlighted more in autism news instead? What are the critical civil rights issues that are being neglected while the same old stories get recycled?

Here are some (but definitely not all!) answers I have to that question, not in any particular order. What would you add to this list?

• Health disparities. Including not receiving quality health care, having health care withdrawn for speaking up, and being denied care for treatable illnesses.
• Abuse. Including restraints, seclusion, and aversives. Abuse from support staff. Abuse that is allowed to continue because of the way systems are set up. Abuse that is allowed to continue because of power imbalances. Bullying.
• Access and accommodations. Understanding about invisible disabilities. Adding autism and learning disability related accommodations to legal documents, access training, and documentation. Considering access everywhere, in the community, in employment, in education, in transportation, in communications, etc.
• Inappropriate or harmful medication or therapy.
• Exploitation in all forms from putting autistic people on exhibit for the entertainment of visitors to using us as cheap labor.
• Self-determination, true inclusion, and empowerment. Including the right to live in the community and an end to forced institutionalization. Being included in decisions that directly affect us. Nothing about us without us.
• Discrimination. On topics from relationships and marriage to popular media. Both blatant discrimination and the type that has come to be socially acceptable.