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Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Describing Discrimination in Housing

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.

In Provo, Utah, Braley Dodson writes at The Daily Herald:
“When we go apartment hunting with kids, a lot of the landlords want BYU students because they have these expectations of how BYU students act and their standards,” said Kari Bushman, off-campus housing specialist at ScenicView Academy, a nonprofit school in Provo that helps people on the spectrum adjust to adult life. “That is their ideal renter, although they are not necessarily BYU-approved housing.”

When someone on the spectrum may look a little different and seem a little different, it can be hard to charm a landlord into offering a lease.

“It is unintentional discrimination of, I have a one-bedroom apartment and I have to choose between the cute little BYU couple and this guy who weirded me out,” Bushman said.