Fighting Back

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the issue's role in campaign politics.   In the 2016 campaign, a number of posts discussed Trump's bad record on disability issues more generally.   As his words and actions have shown, he despises Americans with disabilities.   

Peter Gordon and Alexandra Cogan at the Center for American Progress:

The Trump administration started implementing Project 2025 immediately upon taking office, and as predicted, it is already harming disabled people. Far-reaching administrative actions such as the executive order on “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s memo on freezing federal spending have caused significant confusion for disabled people and organizations that serve them across the country. While the administration battles the legality of the executive orders in the courts, nonprofit organizations and state programs have had to cut back on services, lay off staff, and even shut down.

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is attacking spending it deems wasteful, resulting in mass layoffs of federal workers that have especially affected disabled workers, who often have longer probationary periods due to Schedule A hiring processes. The administration and Congress are also on the verge of making significant cuts to Medicaid and Social Security benefits, two of the most successful anti-poverty programs that keep disabled people in their communities. This onslaught of destructive policies is seemingly intended to keep advocates stressed and disorganized.

That is why it is essential for disability rights advocates and other allied organizations to create a plan of action that builds cross-movement solidarity, interdependence, and collective liberation—all core principles of disability justice. Over the next few years, the disability advocacy community must work creatively to develop a proactive plan of action that centers community care and support. The Center for American Progress’ Disability Justice Initiative, along with its numerous community partners, has been working to push back against the executive and legislative branches’ sweeping actions, identifying three areas where the disability advocacy community could have maximum impact:

• Litigation: Protecting and defending basic civil rights
• Narrative building: Developing a strong message to better communicate and advocate
• Organization: Building partnerships and coalitions to share resources, knowledge, and collective power

Organizing Parents in Simi Valley

In California, The Simi Valley Acorn reports on the No Education at Simi Group, consisting of parents who criticize the quality of education in the Simi Valley Unified School District. The group placed an ad in the paper:

“It is the opinion of this group that some students may not have received a ‘free appropriate public education,’” the Nov. 14 advertisement read. It asked parents interested in joining the group or sharing information to email NoEducationAtSimi@gmail.com. 

SVUSD has approximately 2,300 students in special education, or roughly 13 percent of all the district’s students. According to an informational flier provided to the Acorn via email, No Education At Simi’s goal is to bring “an awareness of some of the pitfalls” the members have experienced in the district.

Why was an ad necessary?  There is no public list of special ed students because IEPs are confidential.  Therefore special ed parents have a hard time identifying and reaching one another.  There are other organizational barriers as well:

First, parents might be leery of drawing public attention to their children's disabilities. In the case of high-functioning autism, the other kids will probably notice a difference without necessarily knowing the label.  Once the label is public, however, the child might be subject  to more bullying.

Second, special ed parents might be reluctant to share information with one another.  Those who get a "good" IEP might worry that others will want the same deal and create a "run on the bank."

Third, organizing takes time, which is one thing that the parents of autistic kids and other special-needs students do not have.

Fourth, special needs are diverse.  The things that paraplegic kids need (e.g., wheelchair ramps) are totally different from autistic kids need (aides, communications devices).  A dollar that goes to one need is a dollar not available to another.  Even within the autism spectrum, there are diverse needs that might make it hard for parents to form a community of interest.

AutismAid

From a new group, AutismAid:

Lawrence Goldfarb, founder of LRG Capital Group and Bay Area autism activist, and Tim Welsh, national activist and voice for autism awareness, have created AutismAid, a 501(c)3 with the goal and objective of being an umbrella for autism organizations and supporters across the globe to unify and gather under for support. Their desire is to refocus education on key issues in autism and the mobilization of communities to create a sustainable safety net, effectively providing a balance of services in the community that they feel has not been adequate.

The project was born out of an observation that while various niche-interest autism groups are critical, the effectiveness of these groups is restricted to only those niches where a multitude of different understandings and restrictions for participation and inclusion may exist. For Lawrence and Tim, this involves breaking down any existing discrimination between socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and geographic locations. Once freed of these barriers, the project will allow the voices of all to be heard, while adding to a collective consciousness of autism and how it affects millions of our friends and families worldwide.

In order to address the broad range of views and opinions on autism and autism care, Lawrence and Tim first seek to recognize and acknowledge the achievements of these smaller communities, while paying it forward to the creation of a greater community of autism supporters and workers who will make a difference in saving lives. Lawrence and Tim invite businesses, non-profits, the medical community, and individuals from neighborhoods around the world to participate in the cause. "The Tommy Foundation is thrilled to have a major player jump into the arena with us, and look forward to continuing to make the autism movement a stronger place for its people," says Rich Everts, co-founder of The Tommy Foundation, which is in the umbrella of AutismAid, and who is also the director of The United States of Autism (2012). Currently, Lawrence and Tim are in the process of formulating the criteria and standards for participation, as well as collecting nominations and submissions from regional service providers. If you would like to learn more and be involved, please email Lawrence Goldfarb at larry@lrgcap.com or Tim Welsh at realtannersdad@gmail.com.

Follow & like Lawrence Goldfarb at https://twitter.com/LarryRGoldfarb and https://www.facebook.com/BayAreaAutismForum
Follow Tim Welsh at https://twitter.com/TannersDad