If you're a college-going student, consider applying.
The week-long annual ACI leadership academy organized by ASAN each summer is an incredible experience for any participant. Along with 18 other college-going students from across North America, I got to learn about autistic identity, self-worth and disability justice. As the only nonspeaking autistic in the group, I was exposed to a range of autistic views which expanded my thinking on autism itself during just the course of a week.
A chord that really struck me was leadership of the most impacted - everyone means everyone; autistics with the most support needs such as the nonspeakers, can be its most valuable leaders. Identity itself is also about defining the worth of a person for themselves, rather than how productive that person is perceived to be by our society. Disability justice though, boils down to a world of interdependence rather than independence. It let me thinking that rather than demanding a seat at the table, our task could well be to redefine the table itself.
The week of training builds up to the highlight of Hill Day where participants get to meet and make a case to staffers on Capitol HIll. The week provided a valuable toolbox of strategies and thinking to carry forward in our future lives in addition to building lifelong friends.
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