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Acceptance Over Awareness Month
A reframe of traditional autism awareness campaigns, promoted by autistic self-advocates. The distinction between awareness and acceptance is not semantic, awareness keeps autism at arm's length, while acceptance requires action, inclusion, and genuine respect for autistic identity.
History
The acceptance-over-awareness framework gained momentum in the 2010s as autistic self-advocates pushed back against campaigns they found dehumanizing. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and other organizations have championed the reframe.
How to Participate
- →Ask what acceptance looks like in your specific context, at home, at work, at school
- →Evaluate the autism organizations you support: do they have autistic leadership?
- →Push back on cure-focused messaging and puzzle piece imagery
- →Center autistic people's stated needs and preferences in your advocacy
- →Commit to ongoing action beyond awareness, accommodation, inclusion, and equity
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