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Autism Speaks’ only advisory board member on the autism spectrum, John Elder Robison, announced his resignation from the organization this month in protest of the organization comparing autistic people to kidnapping victims and claiming that our families are not living, but merely existing, due to the horror of having autistic people in their lives. In his resignation letter, he discusses his four years spent attempting to reform the organization from the inside without success, stating, “Autism Speaks says it’s the advocacy group for people with autism and their families. It’s not, despite having had many chances to become that voice. Autism Speaks is the only major medical or mental health nonprofit whose legitimacy is constantly challenged by a large percentage of the people affected by the condition they target.”he disability community recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, legislation first signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The law begins with the statement that, “disability is a natural part of the human experience that does not diminish the right of individuals with developmental disabilities to live independently, to exert control and choice over their own lives, and to fully participate in and contribute to their communities through full in
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tegration and inclusion in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of United States society.”We believe that statement to be true. Over the past fifty years, the disability world has focused on making these aspirations into reality, and significant strides have been made. Unfortunately, the actions of Autism Speaks attempt to undo fifty years of hard-won progress and take us further away from a world in which the goals articulated in the DD act are fully realized. We applaud you for your interest in supporting the autism and developmental disability, yet firmly believe that your support would have a more positive impact were it invested elsewhere. As a result, we the undersigned members of the disability community stand together in urging you to end your support of Autism Speaks and re-allocate your donations to a recipient who can better represent the needs and desires of autistic people and our families.We would be glad to arrange a meeting to discuss these issues in more detail. Please direct your response to Ari Ne’eman of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network at 202.596.1056 or by e-mail [email protected],
