Today, while I was at my local library, I read the LGBT magazine The Advocate and in the December 16th issue, there was an article that have 26 open letters from the LGBT community. Some of you may think why I am bringing up an LGBT article to an autism/autistic group, the reason why is because one of those letters is written by Daniel Tammet. The letter is enlclosed below along with links.
Dear President Obama,
The 2008 election has reminded people around the world of some of America’s best qualities: the exploration of different ideas and alternative points of view, the call for optimism, the respect for and celebration of unity in diversity, and the belief that everyone, no matter their background, should have the opportunity to freely contribute their talents in the service of others.
Not so long ago it would have seemed unthinkable that a woman or a black man might run for or be elected to the presidency of the United States of America. Society seemed to believe that its biggest thoughts and best ideas came only from a certain kind of mind—one embodied by a single gender, color, and creed. America has moved on, in part because of the growing realization that talent comes in all shapes and forms.
All of this matters because our world today is more complex and more interconnected than ever before, promising unprecedented challenges and opportunities for all of us in the years to come. Solving such problems will call for ways of thinking, perceiving, and imagining that are different from the ways that created them.
Statistics suggest that there are more than a million Americans living today, as I do, with Asperger’s syndrome or other forms of mild, high-functioning autism. Though many have heard of the difficulties these conditions can pose, few are as aware of the many strengths that can also accompany them, including high intelligence, boundless curiosity, detail-rich perception, and original problem-solving skills.
Frustratingly, many Americans with high-functioning autism lack the means to participate in society as they would wish or are otherwise able to. Programs that support college and university students with high-functioning autism remain rare, and employment opportunities are extremely limited.
Helping these individuals to realize their potential will reinforce America’s reputation as an inclusive nation that draws without prejudice on the abilities of all its citizens. It will as well give hope to the young boy or girl with Asperger’s living somewhere in the United States today, who may just one day like yourself gracefully parry the preconceptions of others and use his or her uniqueness to inspire a nation and the world.
Sincerely,
Daniel Tammet
Author of Born on a Blue Day
The link is http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid66552.asp
Another article about Daniel Tammet in The Advocate http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid45247.asp
I am sharing this because like NTs, autistics are part of different communities, and that anyone can find autism-related articles in about any type of magazine, even ones that deal with the LGBT community. Like the LGBT community, we are fighting for our rights alongside our fellow autistics and our autistic allies. Hope that with the Obama Administration, that there will be more autistic rights.
02 Dec 2008, 12:52 am
