ASAN June Newsletter
Dear friend,
With LGBTQ Pride Month, Autism Pride Day, Olmsted Memorial Day and more, there’s a lot to celebrate every June. See what we’ve been up to this month and what we’re working towards.
This month, we continue our work to #StopTheShock. There is currently an Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill in the House of Representatives. Some members have added a new section to the bill, Section 722. If this bill becomes law, this section would prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from banning the electroshock devices used at the Judge Rotenberg Center. The next committee to vote on this bill is the full House Appropriations Committee. They will vote on the bill on July 10th. Between now and July 10th, let’s block this bill and protect the FDA’s authority to ban electroshock torture. Take action today to #StopTheShock!
ASAN’s Board of Directors announced that Collin Killick will begin serving as Executive Director on November 1. Collin joins ASAN with extensive leadership experience in the disability rights movement. For the past five years, Collin has served as Executive Director of the Disability Policy Consortium, Massachusetts’ leading statewide disability advocacy group. We are thrilled that Collin will take on the role of Executive Director and continue to build on the organization’s history of autistic leaders working to protect their communities and create a more inclusive world for all people with disabilities.
Applications are still being accepted for the Taylor McGee Grassroots Mini-Grants Program. The program is named after former ASAN staff member and activist Taylor McGee. In honor of their legacy, the grant celebrates Taylor’s grassroots advocacy work and how they elevated the voices of self-advocates of color. This grant is for self-advocates interested in changing the world. Mini-grant projects should aim to make the world better for people with disabilities. Mini-grants are best for individuals or groups with prior advocacy experience. We previously hosted a webinar explaining the program and the application process. The deadline for all applications is July 31, 2024.
This month, we hosted an Advocacy 101 webinar for people interested in getting involved in advocacy efforts. The webinar covered the basics of systems advocacy, how different types of laws and policies affect people with disabilities, and how everyone can play a part in solving the big issues that affect people with disabilities. You can watch the recording here. The webinar also included two breakout sessions. One session was on legislative and regulatory advocacy, where participants learned how to engage with local, state, and federal representatives. The other session was on building a sustainable community of organizations, where participants learned how to collaborate with others in advocacy efforts.
In case you missed it, last month we released a new resource, “Beyond Coercion and Institutionalization: People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Need for Improved Behavioral Support Services!”. Independence advocates for intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been pointing out for decades that behavior is communication and that every behavior has a reason. When people with IDD seek help to change their behavior, or more commonly when others want to change their behavior, they may receive services called “behavioral supports.” What people call “behavioral supports” encompasses a wide variety of services, but not all of these services are truly helpful for people with IDD. How do we move away from services that try to change people’s behavior without understanding what they are thinking and feeling? What does it take to create behavioral support services that help people live independently in their communities? Our report on behavioral support services is available as a white paper with an executive summary. We also have a toolkit available in both easy-to-read and plain language formats. Check it out and share it with anyone interested in changing how we approach behavioral supports for people with IDD.
We’re excited to release two new resources as part of our Proud and Supported series: “A Self-Help Group’s Guide to Gender-Affirming Healthcare” explains what it means to be transgender or nonbinary, what gender-affirming health care is, and how people who aren’t transgender or nonbinary can be good allies. “Barriers to Gender-Affirming Healthcare” explains the ways our society makes it difficult for transgender and nonbinary people to receive gender-affirming health care, including rules about health insurance, health care costs, what people must do before receiving care, and new laws in some states that restrict gender-affirming care.
This month has been full of activity and celebration, and we are grateful to be able to do both with our grassroots efforts. As our community continues the fight against the use of electroshock devices, we know we can make the biggest impact by acting together.
Sincerely,
ASAN Team
We opposed S.3196, a bill that could have made it more likely that children placed in foster care would end up in institutional care rather than in the community. With the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, ASAN pushed for justice reform. Justice reform means changing how the courts work. With the Disabled Voters Consortium, ASAN supported expanding housing access for people with disabilities and criminal records. With Americans for Tax Fairness, we opposed the IRS and proposed cuts to the Direct File program. The Direct File program is a free and more accessible way to file taxes. The program was launched this year as a pilot program. It could be available in all 50 states next year. We commented on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on forced asylum denial. If a U.S. federal agency wants to change a rule, it must issue an NPRM and ask people for their input. Our opinion is that the proposed rule is wrong and will hurt victims of gender-based violence. ASAN signed a letter in opposition to HJRes 165. HJRes 165 is a bill that would repeal new rules that protect people from sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. We signed a letter asking the administration to protect migrant care workers. Together with the National Association of Disability Voters, we asked the Senate to approve the appointment of a disability advocate to Amtrak’s board of directors. Become a Member to support our work
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