Hello everyone, Autistics United Canada remains in a semi-hiatus and has not returned to full activity, as our organizers are still needing rest and recovery, but we have some updates for you all! Federal Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology Hearing on Bill S-203On Wednesday, March 30, representatives from Autistics United Canada and Autistics for Autistics spoke in front of the Canadian Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology Hearing regarding Bill S-203. Bill S-203, An Act respecting a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder, would set out the process to create a National Autism Strategy. We shared our concerns surrounding the Bill and suggestions for amendments. Recording of the hearing: https://senparlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=573046&globalStreamId=3 (Starts at 16:18:00, captioned and interpreted in English and French) Autistics United Canada also submitted a 10-page brief to the Senate Committee, which you can read here. Workshop: Neurodiversity-Affirming and Just Practices for Autistic Well-Being in Health Care SettingsWe will be hosting a free online workshop on autism and health care next week! Wednesday April 27 6-8 pm Pacific Time Online via Zoom REGISTER HERE (for Zoom link and to request access to the recording): https://forms.gle/cbje4iEadbuhPzwe6 Visit our Facebook event page for more information and the latest updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/527867682048138 Autistic people commonly report negative experiences, trauma, harm, abuse, and violence from health care settings. While issues of inaccessibility permeate throughout the Canadian colonial health care system, ableism and other forms of oppression impact autistic and otherwise disabled people through interconnected forms of violence. In this workshop, presenters from Autistics United Canada will share their experiences and tips for neurodiversity-affirming and just practices in healthcare. This offering of the workshop is hosted in collaboration with the UBC Medicine Social Justice Collective. ----- Accessibility: ASL interpretation and CART (live captioning) will be provided. If you have any questions or accessibility requests, feel free to let us know in registration form or email the UBC Med Social Justice Collective at ubcmedsjcollective@gmail.com. Please let us know your accessibility requests by Sunday, April 24th, so we can best accommodate you. ----- To donate to support this event and other activities by and for autistic people: autisticsunitedca.org/donate.html Online Spaces for Autistics and AlliesWe are currently still running our online spaces for autistic people and allies to connect and support each other!
1) Facebook group for Autistics and allies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AUCanadaAutisticsAndAllies → Make sure you answer the three (3) questions when you request to join! 2) Discord server for AUTISTICS ONLY → To request an invite link, please send an email to info@AutisticsUnitedCA.org confirming that a) you are autistic (self-identification is okay!) b) you agree to the community guidelines, which you can read here: https://www.autisticsunitedca.org/community-guidelines.html With warmth and solidarity, Autistics United Canada organizing team
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Announcement: Due to the extremely low capacity that most of our organizing team has been dealing with for a long time, Autistics United Canada has made the difficult decision to go on a semi-hiatus until at least Spring 2022. This means that for the time being we will not be hosting workshops, and only have very limited activity on social media, advocacy, and policy work. We will however continue our mutual aid and peer support initiatives such as: 1) our Autistics and Allies Facebook group (www.facebook.com/groups/AUCanadaAutisticsAndAllies) 2) our Autistics-only Discord server (please email or message us for access), and 3) our one-on-one resource referrals/crisis support. We’ll continue to host our monthly online Neurodivergent Hangouts as capacity allows. You can register for our upcoming hangout on Sunday, Nov. 28 here: https://forms.gle/p5CsdEZ6uSw4xL9KA Disability justice includes rest, and our organizing team has needed that for a long time. We hope that this period of rest will allow us to more sustainably build networks of support and advocacy by and for autistics in “Canada” and beyond. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us and we will try to respond within our capacity. Our email (info@AutisticsUnitedCA.org) and social media are still being monitored, though less regularly, and we will be prioritizing urgent requests for support. Thank you for your understanding and support! We’re grateful to be part of a community that prioritizes sustainability and rest, and that has been so supportive of our growth and learning as a grassroots collective. We hope to keep in touch and be well-rested to become more active again in Spring 2022! We hope you are all taking care and staying safe this summer. If you do not have air conditioning, here are some tips on how to stay cool. Health Canada also has safety tips for very hot weather. COVID-19 Vaccine ResourcesContent: COVID-19, Mention of needles If you haven’t already, we encourage you to get vaccinated for COVID-19! Vaccines are safe, effective, and save lives. Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine? We have created a resource list on getting vaccinated, as well as a guide to needle anxiety for neurodivergent people. Currently, vaccines are available to those 12 and older. Eligibility depends on your province.
Discord Server
Solidarity with Indigenous PeoplesContent: genocide, residential schools As Indigenous peoples and settlers continue to grapple with the violent past and present genocide that forms the basis of so-called Canada, we echo calls for solidarity and action on reconciliation and decolonization. We released two statements in support of #CancelCanadaDay and in solidarity with residential school survivors and all Indigenous peoples. We hold that reconciliation and decolonization is a disability justice imperative and responsibility for us all. #StopTheShockContent: ableist and racist torture of disabled people In the USA, a federal appeals court has overturned the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on electric skin shock devices used on children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Autistics United Canada joins disabled activists and organizations around the world in strongly condemning this decision. Despite decades of public outcry and advocacy to #StopTheShock, these devices continue to be used at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts, on residents as young as 9, over 80% Black and Latinx. This practice has been labeled by the United Nations as torture. The fact that any torture of autistic and otherwise disabled people is continuing to be sanctioned is horrific - and an international community response is needed. Learn more about what you can do to join the fight here. Autistic Employment Workshop On June 4th, organizing members of Autistics United Canada presented a version of our All Brains Are Beautiful workshop to Public Services and Procurement Canada as part of AccessAbility Week. Our workshop covers topics of neurodiversity, autistic identity and pride, intersectionality, accessibility, and disability justice. For this version focused on employment, we also offered practical tips and strategies for supporting autistic employees and featured testimonies from our members of their experiences and perspectives. Volunteer TrainingBack in the spring, we completed our first training workshops for new volunteers. Volunteer training consisted of six workshops on topics related to volunteering or organizing AUC such as goal-setting, accessibility, disability justice and accountability. It is not too late to get involved! If you are autistic and would like to get more involved with Autistics United, please contact us and we can arrange training for you and connect you with our resources! Neurodivergent Hangouts
UN CRPD Consultation on DeinstitutionalizationOn June 8th, 2021, Autistics United Canada organizing members participated in a virtual regional consultation on deinstitutionalization held by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). Read our submitted written statement here. CAHS Policy DiscussionFrom April to June, Autistics United Canada participated in virtual community conversations held by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) on autism. We also submitted a written submission. This consultation, assigned to the CAHS by the Public Health Agency of Canada, will inform federal policy on autism. There is still an opportunity to share your voice and perspective! Next week, CAHS is holding Zoom discussions on policy. They are asking attendees for feedback on specific issues and potential policy solutions. Registration closes TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 14 at midnight ET! Click here to register.
Our #AskingAutistics Canada Survey
National Consultation on Disability Inclusion Action PlanThe Government of Canada is conducting a national consultation on the new Disability Inclusion Action Plan. There are two ways you can provide feedback until August 31, 2021: 1) Complete the online survey 2) Submit a ASL or LSQ video response to the questions by email to Accessible-Canada@hrsdc.gc.ca Vaccine Peer Support for Autistics in TorontoAutistics for Autistics Ontario is partnering with the Centre for Independent Living Toronto and the City of Toronto to provide peer support in navigating the vaccine system. If you are an autistic person in Toronto, they have two vaccinated autistic peer navigators who can help you navigate the vaccine access system and prepare for your appointment. Email a4aontario@gmail.com to connect with an autistic peer! International Day of Protest Against ABA
Paid Opportunities for AutisticsWe recognize that paid opportunities are often hard to come by for autistics, due to ableist barriers, which in combination with lack of disability financial support, leaves many autistics in financial instability and poverty. We’ll be featuring a selection of paid opportunities for autistics in our quarterly update and newsletter! If you have a paid opportunity for autistics, please contact us at info@AutisticsUnitedCA.org. We especially welcome autistic-led and disabled-led initiatives. 1) Undergrad students are building a new sensory room at the University of British Columbia. They are looking to interview disabled folks about the design of the space.
You'll receive a $25 gift card for a 1-hour interview conducted online. Please do NOT share this publicly. They asked us to share this in our closed networks only. Please contact Stephanie at quons@student.ubc.ca if you're interested! 2) The BC government is putting together a Provincial Accessibility Committee. Its 11 members will be responsible for “reviewing the regulations as developed by the technical committee” and “advising the Government on standards development and implementation of the regulations.” View the Job posting here Application deadline: July 29, 2021 That is all for now! Thank you for continuing to support our work and reading our update! In solidarity, Autistics United Canada organizing collective Happy Autism Acceptance Month! April can be a difficult time for autistic people. We celebrate our community, at the same time as we fight stigma and (be)wareness campaigns. To us, autism acceptance is not just a phrase: it's a call to action. It requires a shift in thinking and strong opposition against ableism, eugenics in all its forms, harmful "treatments" of autism, and segregation. Acceptance and inclusion of all autistics also requires disability justice. We cannot work towards our collective liberation without addressing dehumanization and injustice faced by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), women, 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/aromatic) people, religious minorities, people in poverty, people facing homelessness, incarcerated people, vulnerable workers including sex workers, and migrants and refugees. We oppose the rise of policing in light of COVID-19, the racist and ableist policies affecting healthcare access, and institutions and systems that put profit over people. As Canada is in the third wave of the pandemic, we also encourage our members to get vaccinated if they are eligible. Autistics United Canada supports the science of vaccination and objects to misinformation about vaccines, particularly fearmongering about the non-existent link to autism. To learn more about how to get vaccinated, visit the information page for your province or territory. Neurodivergent Hangouts[Image description: yellow text against teal background. Text reads "Neurodivergent hangouts online board games & chat! Yellow stars in the top right corner and the Autistics United Canada logo of eight interlocking infinity symbols in a rainbow of colours in the bottom left] We are once again holding an online neurodivergent hangout via Zoom this Sunday, April 25th! The hangout is one hour later than usual. Time: 4-6 PM PST / 5-7 PM MST / 6-8 PM CST / 7-9 PM EST / 8-10 PM AST RSVP here: https://forms.gle/4a6FXZ1s8aGC2X5F9 We are in the process of booking ASL interpretation and CART (live captioning). Please RSVP by Friday, April 23 at 3 pm PT / 6 pm ET to request CART or ASL interpretation. For upcoming hangouts, please continue to check our Facebook events page for updates. CAHS Community Conversations & Engagement HubThe Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) is an independent, third-party organization assigned by the Public Health Agency of Canada to carry out an assessment on autism supports nation-wide. There are 2 ways for you to share your opinion and shape policy affecting autistics in Canada: 1) Join online community conversations Happening in April and May, starting tomorrow. There are Zoom meetings for each province/territory and for individual groups like LGBTQ+ autistics, BIPOC, AAC users, autistic parents, autistic women, newcomers/immigrants, young autistic adults, and autistic seniors. Learn more here Register here You can sign up for more than one session, but you need to register first. We have participated in the CAHS survey as a stakeholder organization. Another autistic-led organization, Autistics for Autistics Ontario, has also released a series of reports, which you can read here. 2) Share your views in the online Engagement hub Open until May 31st. When you visit the Engagement Hub website, you can:
Autistics United Canada's #AskingAutistics about National Autism & Disability Policy Survey[Image description: text in a red box reading "What changes do you want to see in Canada to improve autistic lives? bit.ly/AskingAutisticsCanada Quels changements souhaitez-vous voir au Canada pour améliorer la vie des autistes? "] We have our own survey asking autistics about their thoughts on what is needed to help autistic and otherwise disabled people in Canada. This will inform our ongoing advocacy and help us communicate our community's needs to the government. Our goal is to focus on what autistic people themselves are saying. It is still open! We will collect responses until June. The survey takes around 15 minutes. It is available:
Please help us spread the word about the survey! You can share our Facebook and Twitter posts. Volunteer TrainingWe are building capacity as a group by holding a series of volunteer trainings for autistic members. Our first two workshops happened in March and the next two are coming up this weekend. If you are still interested in joining the training, please email us at info@AutisticsUnitedCA.org to let us know! We have recordings for the first two workshops and can share them with you if you would still like to join the training. Disabled Elders FundDisabled activists Dustin Gibson and Talila Lewis have organized a Disabled Elders Fund, giving 10 or more recipients up to $1,000 each. Donate to the fund here. Autistics United Canada in the NewsAutistics United Canada organizers from BC and Nova Scotia were recently interviewed about Autism Acceptance Month and race and gender in autism representation. The CBC radio segment was not captioned, so we have made a transcript ourselves that you can read here.
That is all for now! Please stay safe and keep supporting one another, and get vaccinated if you can! In solidarity, Autistics United Canada organizing team Hello everyone! Here are some updates on what’s been happening in the different chapters of Autistics United Canada. It's a long one--we have been busy since our last update!
British Columbia BC Accessibility Legislation BC members of Autistics United met with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction to discuss the autistic community’s priorities for the historic BC accessibility legislation in the making. We also attended the in-person sessions held by the BC government in Comox Valley and Vancouver. We teamed up with the Neurodiversity Listening Society to host an input session for autistic and neurodivergent people across BC, to generate a report to submit to the government. We will keep meeting with the Ministry in the coming months to ensure autistic voices are represented in the new law. This means we need to hear from you! Our online survey is still open for comments: https://forms.gle/xZjGifqHFZYnzfCbA Vancouver Our Stories, Our Voices: Autistic Intergenerational Storytelling Event Our Stories, Our Voices is a storytelling event connecting autistics of all ages, held on August 25th. The event aimed to provide social stories by and for autistic people, rather than the neurotypical-centred social narratives we often encounter. A picture-book making session followed the storytelling itself. Protest Against Autism Speaks Members of Autistics United Vancouver protested against Autism Speaks Canada at their walk on October 6th in Richmond. The protesters stood on the sidelines of the walk and held signs, handed out pamphlets, and told passersby about the issues with Autism Speaks. We invited them to consider the neurodiversity perspective and positive alternatives. The protest was covered by several media groups. We made the front page of The Province! We also had coverage from CBC, News 1130, and Richmond News. Comox Valley Summer Fire Roast Potluck There was a potluck for autistic people in Comox Valley on August 14th at the Kin Beach Provincial Park. Autistic people in the area brought food and beverages to the event and enjoyed a bonfire and the natural scenery. Games Night There was a game night at the Courtenay Vancouver Island Regional Library on October 9th. The event included coffee and snacks as well as board games for attendees to enjoy. Alberta Protest Against Autism Speaks Autistics United Fort McMurray protested against Autism Speaks alongside Neurodiversity YMM at the Autism Speaks walk in Edmonton on September 15th. The protesters wore red shirts to represent autistic pride, spoke to families about the neurodiversity movement, and referred people to further information about autism acceptance and pride. Booth at Pride Autistics United Fort McMurray attended the PRIDE YMM celebration at Jubilee Plaza on August 24th. The group answered questions about neurodiversity and held an interactive activity encouraging infodumping. Manitoba Collaboration with Manitoba Theatre for Young People A major children's theatre, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, is putting on a play next year called Spelling 2-5-5, which has an autistic character. Autistics United Manitoba will be consulting on this play, which includes giving input on study guides for schools, and being involved with talkbacks after the show. Autistic Pride Day Autistics United Manitoba had a successful Autistic Pride Day picnic at Assiniboine Park. The event was held on June 15th and included snacks and outdoor games. Nova Scotia Unspoken Film Screening The Nova Scotia chapter held a screening for the film “Unspoken” in Dartmouth on October 26. The film describes the life and experiences of Emma Zurcher-Long, a non-speaking autistic person who uses AAC to communicate. After the screening, participants had a discussion about the film and its contents, and the importance of respecting all forms of communication. More film screenings are planned for next year! Article about Anti-Vaccination Halifax Today released an article about the recent meeting between MLA Steve Craig and a known anti-vaxxer. He mentioned the meeting in a Twitter post which he subsequently removed, issuing an apology for the meeting. The article mentions Autistics United and quotes chapter leader Alex Kronstein discussing the situation. National Accessibility Fundraiser Autistics United Canada is holding a fundraiser to raise money for improving accessibility at events, including ASL interpretation, braille transcription, sensory equipment and stim toys, and more. Donate through fundrazr to support Autistics United and help us make autistic-led events and projects accessible for everyone! #AutisticsVote Federal Election Toolkit Members of Autistics United worked on creating a toolkit to help autistic people vote at the November election. The toolkit includes information about Canada’s political system, the federal election and its candidates, and the process of registering to vote and voting at the polls. Talking to Your MP About Autistic Self-Advocacy We have a toolkit available to help people reach out to and work with their MPs on matters relating to autistic self-advocacy. The guide includes information on finding your MP and making a meeting, advocating during the meeting, and following up after the meeting. The toolkit was by the Autistic Advocacy Coalition of Canada. Autistics United Canada is a member organization of the AACC. Report to the United Nations Committee Rights of Persons with Disabilities Autistics United submitted a report to the 22nd Session of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which was held August 26th to September 20th. The report highlighted areas of concern for autistic people in Canada in relation to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The report focused on a variety of areas, including the right to life, education, accessibility, and employment. International Day of Protest Against ABA The second International Day of Protest Against ABA (started by the Nova Scotia chapter of Autistics United) was held on August 31st. The protest featured hashtags such as “#SayNoToABA” and “#InternationalDayOfProtestAgainstABA”, and included information about the ways in which ABA is harmful to autistic people. #Autober To counteract Canadian Autism Awareness Month, Autistics United held a social media campaign to highlight the achievements of autistic people, giving spotlights to 31 autistics in our community. We could not talk about everyone but will do it again next year! The name Autober was coined by Albertan member Riki Entz, and Christopher Whelan took the lead in creating the posts. Autober 2019 posts can be found on Fort McMurray and National Facebook pages. International Day of the Stim The International Day of the Stim was created by our colleagues at A4A to celebrate stimming and its significance. Members of Autistics United participated in the event, which included posts on Facebook and Twitter about the importance of stimming and stimming positivity. Media Coverage about the National Autism Strategy Autistics United was featured in an article by City News 1130 about the shortcomings of the national “autism strategies” discussed by campaigners in the 2019 election. Vivian Ly pointed out the importance of improving things for all disabled people, rather than singling out autistics. The article also mentioned the Federal Election Toolkit released by Autistics United around that time. Interview about Issues with Blue Pumpkin Campaign Vivian Ly was featured in a video by City News 1130 about the blue pumpkin campaign. Vivian highlighted the issues with requiring autistic children to out themselves to participate in trick-or-treating, and the risk of confusing the campaign with the use of teal buckets to show which houses have non-food offerings on Halloween. What’s Next? We are currently working with other autistic-led advocacy organizations across the nation to establish the Autistic Advocacy Coalition of Canada (AACC)! Stay tuned for updates on our Twitter. |