Author: Victoria

Americans with Disabilities Act 33rd Anniversary

Posted on | by Victoria | Leave a Comment on Americans with Disabilities Act 33rd Anniversary

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebrated its 33rd anniversary on July 26th, 2023.

Much remains to be accomplished in the United States to make for a truly equitable society for citizens with disabilities. However, the work completed in the name of this act remains undoubtedly noticed in society today.

CIL celebrated the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by hosting a panel at our Winter Park office. The panel features Representative Anna V. Eskamani, Representative Rita Harris, and Policy Fellow Hiram Helfman.

The panel discusses in detail the ADA’s impact on the lives of people with disabilities, and the next steps needed to make a truly equitable society.

 

Intersectionality between Disability and LGBTQIA+

Posted on | by Victoria | Leave a Comment on Intersectionality between Disability and LGBTQIA+

By Matthew Louis LaGassa and Embry Burton Published June 8, 2023

Reviewed by Victoria Wells

 

About the Authors

Matthew Louis LaGassa (born March 2002) was diagnosed Autistic when he was two years old, and has always thought of his neurodivergency as a core part of his identity. Outside of his internship here at CIL, he’s a soon-to-be Senior year student at Rollins College, majoring in in English and minoring in Writing, with a knack for analytical essay writing. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, videogames, tabletop roleplaying games, and baking.

Embry Burton (she/they) is a sophomore at Rollins College involved in the Bonner Leaders Program. They are planning on double majoring in biology and psychology. Embry enjoys reading, volunteering, and feeding the cats on campus. They feel particularly passionate about the topic of the intersectionality between disability inclusion and LGBTQ+ pride because of their identity as nonbinary, pansexual, and someone with a chronic joint illness.

 

Pride and Disability: The Overlap in Community and Activism

Happy Pride Month from the Center of Independent Living in Central Florida (CIL)! As the LGBTQ+ community all across the country is gathering to uplift each-other’s voices in the fight for their rights, we’ve been hard at work this week doing the same, albeit with an intersectionality-fueled twist. We’ve previously documented how the Independent Living Movement, the cornerstone of our ethos, shares its roots with the African American Civil Rights movement, and similarly, both our community and movement have much overlap with the equally storied history of LGBTQ+ community and activism. Looking at the statistics and activists of the past and present, it’s clear that it’s an overlap that deserves to be highlighted.

 

The Statistics: Community Overlap

Beginning with reviewing the overlap in our communities, it is evident that people with disabilities make up much more of the LGBTQ+ community than they do their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. Among the approximately seventeen million people that make up the LGBTQ+ community, around five million (roughly thirty six percent of the community) are estimated to be people with disabilities as well (Pauli, 2021; Human Rights Campaign, n.d).

Further studies break this estimated five million down further via percentages: thirty percent of queer men and thirty six percent of queer women self-identify as people with disabilities (Pauli). Breaking down the data even further among individual sexual orientations and gender identities, fifty two percent of transgender people self-report having a disability, as do gay and bisexual men at twenty-six and forty percent respectively, with lesbian and bisexual women both at thirty six percent (Human Rights Campaign; Pauli; DeVault, 2023). Overall, studies like these affirm that queer people are more likely to identify as having disabilities than the general population, and naturally, from such a wide overlap, many activists with a foot in both sides of it have rose throughout this shared history.

 

Audre Lorde: Blind, Lesbian, Black, Feminist, Poet, Essayist, Activist.

Predating even the 1969 Stonewall Riots, Audre Lorde shines as one of the earliest figures in this storied history of intersectional activism. Born to a poor immigrant family in New York on February 8, 1934, Audre was legally blind due to being short sighted (Holder, 2021). She found success as a poet in her teens, and continued to write and present her poems, as well as essays, in adulthood as a Columbia University graduate and Librarian in New York Public Schools (Holder; Poetry Foundation, n.d.). It was these experiences as Black Lesbian with a disability in straight white male academia that became the foundation of her activism, where she specialized in the intersection between queer theory, feminist theory, and critical race studies, most prevalent in her essay, “The Master’s Tools Will Not Dismantle the Master’s House,” (Poetry Foundation).

She was a staunch figure in movements confronting racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia for decades, where her writing continued to ring “with passion, sincerity, perception, and depth of feeling,” (Poetry Foundation). Sadly, Audre was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977, but she never stopped writing: her 1980 self-reflection on the latter condition, The Cancer Journals, went on to win American Library Association’s Gay Caucus Book of the Year Award in 1981 (National Museum of African American History & Culture, 2020). Sadly, six years after that diagnosis, Audre was diagnosed with liver cancer, and passed away on November 17, 1992 (National Museum of African American History & Culture).

With a storied legacy like that, Audre Lorde certainly deserves her legacy today as “A ‘self-described ‘black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,’” and so much more, and it wouldn’t be long until many more activists would come to follow in her steps, no where matter where they went (Poetry Foundation).

 

Bobbie Lea Bennet: Trans Woman, Wheelchair, Courageous

With Transgender people in many states at risk of losing their access to gender affirming care, Bobbie Lea Bennet’s story of taking the fight straight to the top is as timely as ever. Born in Louisiana on March 31, 1947, Bobbie was a United States Medicare recipient for her use of a wheelchair. With this unique position, Bobbie successfully mobilized media coverage in support of her to confront the system’s lack of coverage for cover gender affirming surgeries, spurned her own request for Medicare to cover it being denied with no explanation (Transjoy, 2023; Phoenix, 2022). In 1978, after a cross country road trip from San Diego, California, to Baltimore, Maryland, Bobbie made her case to Medicare’s director at the time, Thomas M. Tierney, and won, obtaining gender affirmation surgery as a trans woman at last (Transjoy).

Bobbie continued her activism in 1985 by founding the St. Tammany Parish Organization for the Handicapped to serve the needs of people with disabilities in the eponymous Louisiana Parish, but has sadly since been dissolved (Transjoy). Bobbie continued to live a long life of activism for both LGBTQ+ and disability rights, passing away on July 18, 2019. Alongside countless other intersectional activists’ stories, Lorde and Bennet’s legacies live on today in more recent figures.

 

Lydia X. Z. Brown: Non-Binary, Living at the Intersection, Writer, Activist, Scholar, and Attorney

Moving up to modern times, the Chinese American Lydia X. Z. Brown, they/them or no pronouns, stands out for their many skills as a “writer, public speaker, educator, trainer, consultant, advocate, community organizer, community builder, activist, scholar, and attorney” (Brown, n.d.). They are incredibly involved and accomplished in their local and national community as leader of the “Fund for Community Reparations for Autistic People of Color’s Interdependence, Survival, and Empowerment… an adjunct lecturer and core faculty in the Disability Studies Program and the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Georgetown University, and as an adjunct professorial lecturer in the American Studies Program at American University’s Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies.” Among these and many other impactful roles, they are also the “Director of Policy, Advocacy, and External Affairs at the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network” (Brown).

Having “worked to address and end interpersonal and state violence targeting disabled people, especially disabled people at the margins of the margins… of disability, queerness, race, gender, class, and nation and migration,” for over a decade, Lydia shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, and neither does this last group.

 

Drag Syndrome: A Royal Ensemble of Down Syndrome Artists

Closing out our litany of recognition with “The new queer cultural heroes,” Drag Syndrome, a “drag collective featuring highly addictive queens and kings with Down-Syndrome,” these of creative artists celebrate gender expression, sexuality, and their identities as people with Down-Syndrome (Drag Syndrome, n.d.). With art as their starting point before anything else, and country-to-country tours, Drag Syndrome has been featured in many major news outlets, including BBC, The New York Times, and NBC, spreading their message of acceptance and inclusivity far and wide, and where honored to do the same.

 

Conclusion:

As we pride ourselves in being inclusive of every person it is important that we better understand these struggles, alongside the ones many further face as people with disabilities, hold fast to the figures that both have, and are still fighting, to push back against such bigotry, and make their courage our own. In the spirits of Audre Lorde, Bobbie Lea Bennet, Lydia X. Z. Brown, Drag Syndrome, and countless others like them, we at The Center for Independent Living stand with all queer people with disabilities, and are here for them, so that they may find the help they need to live safe and fully independent lives.

 

Works Cited:

Audre Lorde. National Museum of African American History and Culture. (2020, May 29). https://nmaahc.si.edu/audre-lorde

Brown, L. (n.d.). About. Lydia X Z Brown. https://lydiaxzbrown.com/about/

DeVault, N. (2023, March 10). Study affirms LGBTQ people are more likely to have a disability than the general population – ameridisability. The Latest National Disability News. https://www.ameridisability.com/study-affirms-lgbtq-people-are-more-likely-to-have-a-disability-than-the-general-population/

Drag syndrome. Drag Syndrome. (n.d.). https://www.dragsyndrome.com/

Holder, D. (2021, August 24). Audre Lorde, warrior poet. DisHistSnap. https://www.disabilityhistorysnapshots.com/post/audre-lorde-warrior-poet

Pauli, P. (2021, June 2). Celebrating approximately 5 million LGBTQ+ people with disabilities for pride 2021. RespectAbility. https://www.respectability.org/2021/06/pride-month-2021/

Phoenix    1 year ago1 year ago, B. (2022, February 25). LGBT+ History month X disabled students group – Bobbie Lea Bennett. THE HOOT. https://thehootstudents.com/lgbt-history-month-x-disabled-students-group-bobbie-lea-bennett/

Poetry Foundation. (n.d.). Audre Lorde. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/audre-lorde

TransJoy. (2023, April 5). LGBT+ figures in history #5: Bobbie Lea Bennett. TransJoy. https://www.transjoy.co/2022/03/01/bobbie-lea-bennett/

Understanding disability in the LGBTQ+ community. Human Rights Campaign. (n.d.). https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-disabled-lgbtq-people

 

CIL Celebrates ADA’s 33rd Anniversary! The Movement, the Act, and Us.

Posted on | by Victoria | Leave a Comment on CIL Celebrates ADA’s 33rd Anniversary! The Movement, the Act, and Us.

By Matthew Louis LaGassa Published May 25, 2023

Reviewed by Victoria Wells

 

About the Author:

Matthew Louis LaGassa (born March 2002) was diagnosed Autistic when he was two years old, and has always thought of his neurodivergency as a core part of his identity. Outside of his internship here at CIL, he’s a Junior year student at Rollins College, majoring in in English and minoring in Writing, with a knack for analytical essay writing. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, videogames, tabletop roleplaying games, and baking.

 

This July, specifically July 26, 2023, is the thirty third anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Though much still remains to be done to make the United States a truly equitable society for its citizens with disabilities, the work done in the name of this act, and the Independent Living Movement that led to it, is undoubtedly noticeable in the present day.

To celebrate the people and the movement that got us to this point, we at the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida would like to tell you the histories of:

  • the Independent Living Movement,
  • the people behind it,
  • the creation of the first Center for Independent Living,
  • the Americans with Disabilities Act,
  • and our very own center.

 

The Independent Living Movement:

Beginning with the movement’s shared roots “with the [ongoing] African American civil rights struggle and with other movements of the late 1960’s and 1970’s,” the Independent Living Movement believed in the empowerment of individuals with disabilities. This empowerment was accomplished through “the formation of community-based groups of people with different types of disabilities who worked together to identify barriers and gaps in service delivery[,]… and to influence policy makers at all levels to change regulations and to introduce barrier-removing legislation,” (WILS, 2017). These guiding principles of community-based individual empowerment would remain foundational to the movement, paving the way for Ed Roberts, who in turn paved the way for us.

The People Behind it:

As a Polio survivor, Ed Roberts “had virtually no functional movement and used a respirator to breathe.” Upon his admission to The University of California at Berkeley in 1962, he was required to “live in the campus medical facility, Cowell Hall,” (Hayman, 2019).  During this time, Ed developed a sense of community with his fellow students with disabilities “based on the barriers and discrimination that they all faced.”

Inspired by the political activism of the decade, these students organized into The Rolling Quads, and with the help of “Jean Wirth, an English teacher at the College of San Mateo in San Mateo California,” established the “Physically Disabled Students Program.” This created provisions for Personal Assistance Services, wheelchair repairs, emergency attendant care and help in obtaining whatever financial services were available” (WILS).

The Creation of the First Center for Independent Living:

Following this program’s establishment, Ed founded the Berkeley Center for Independent Living in 1972 (WILS; Hayman). This center was the first of its kind, and its core values of “dignity, peer support, consumer control, civil rights, integration, equal access, and advocacy,” have since remained “at the heart of the independent living and disability rights movements,” serving as the founding principals of vital legislation and successive centers alike (Hayman).

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

Like Ed Roberts and the Berkley Center for Independent Living, the history of the Americans with Disabilities act began long before its first introduction to Congress in 1988 (Mayerson, 1992). The shift in public policy that had paved the way for the act occurred in 1973 “with the passage of Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. Section 504, which banned discrimination on the basis of disability by recipients of federal funds,” marked the first time Congress recognized that people with disabilities required legislation to remove societal barriers and provide the necessary accommodations (Mayerson). When the Section 504 regulations were issued on May 4, 1977, the movement spent the following decade educating the public on disability discrimination, and involving themselves in Supreme Court litigation, all paving the way for the regulations that would be provided by the passing of the ADA (Mayerson).

The act was initially introduced “in April 1988 in the 100th Congress,” and once more, the community mobilized “to educate people with disabilities about the ADA and to gather evidence to support the need for broad anti-discrimination protections” (Mayerson).  Once the new ADA was introduced in the 101st Congress on May 9, 1989, the community further mobilized: “A team of lawyers and advocates worked on drafting and on the various and complex legal issues that were continually arising;… a lobbying system was developed using members of the disability community from around the country; witnesses came in from all over the country to testify before Congressional committees” (Mayerson).

The community retained their sense of perseverance against proposals and amendments that threatened to weaken the ADA.  Finally, the Bill was signed into law on July 26, 1990, at last codifying accommodations for people with disabilities as “no longer a matter of charity but instead a basic issue of civil rights,” (Mayerson).

Historical Fun Facts about the ADA:

  1. Prior to being signed into law, the ADA was first introduced to Congress in April, 1988, followed by a revised version of it in May the following year.
  2. Both times the ADA was introduced in Congress, people with disabilities mobilized to show their support by educating communities of its importance, solving the complex legal issues that kept arising, and a lobbying system of community members nationwide testifying in its favor in front of congressional committees.
  3. On September 25, 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) was signed into law and took effect at the start of the following year. This act clarified and broadened the original act’s definition of disability, making it easier for people with disabilities, now including people with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and more, to qualify for the ADA’s protections.

Fun Facts about the Impact of the ADA:

  1. As part of Title I’s prohibitions on discrimination in the workplace, employers, government included, are required to provide reasonable accommodations for employers with disabilities. Common examples of said accommodations include providing large print, braille, or audiotape versions of written materials and for people who are seeing or hearing impaired, or sign language interpreters.
  2. The ADA’s requirements for accommodations extend to schools, enabling students with disabilities to receive accommodations in their classes and exams, such as large print dictionaries for people who are legally blind, or extended time for people with Autism or other disabilities that make it difficult for them to focus.
  3. Thanks to Title III’s prohibitions on discrimination in public places, accommodations like wheelchair ramps and accessible parking have enabled people with disabilities to access locations that were previously unavailable to them.

Our Very Own Center:

The creation of the Centers for Independent Living continued throughout these many years of civil rights fights leading to the over 400 that exist around the United States today, all championing the five core services – advocacy, information and referral, independent living skills, peer support and mentoring, and transition- in the way that aligns best with our communities.

Beverly Chapman, a lobbyist, tireless disability advocate, columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, and more, is additionally responsible for the founding of our CIL in 1976, and served as our first executive director. Keep learning about our history and Beverly’s here:

History

The ideas at the heart of the first Center of Independent Living, the affirmation of civil rights that is the ADA, and the perseverance of the disability community and their friends that lead the country to it, resonate in our community to this day. We at the Center of Independent Living in Central Florida are proud to carry on those ideals in our work everyday.

 

References

 

 

CIL Career Camps Lead Students to Career Paths

Posted on | by Victoria | Leave a Comment on CIL Career Camps Lead Students to Career Paths

Abel has a lot to look forward to as a 15-year-old kid. Sure, another school year is right around the corner, but Abel likes to look farther into the future, thinking ahead about having a job and career one day.

This summer, Abel has been able to focus on what that career might be as he’s attended a pair of Career Camps hosted by the Center of Independent Living of Central Florida (CIL). He’s gotten an up-close look at a host of different jobs, and he’s learned skills he’ll need to help get hired in a few years.

Abel comes home from Career Camp – in mid-July, he was one of 23 students at camp in Winter Park – feeling encouraged and supported and excited in a way that his mother, Holly Whye-Schiffhauer, has not seen before.

“In my opinion, (Career Camp) is an unparalleled resource for youth such as my son,” said Whye-Schiffhauer. “Any chances for him to engage with other students and professionals in this way are rare and greatly appreciated. From my own interactions and what my son tells me, (CIL has) a team of dedicated, caring professionals who come prepared to give their best to these students daily.”

CIL provides its weeklong Career Camp program across its seven-county footprint to youth with disabilities enrolled in high school during times when school is out for break. The immersive program gives campers opportunities to build pre-employment skills and get exposed to opportunities that will ultimately help them to transition to adulthood and careers. Camp presenters are experts in their unique fields, so they can offer real-life, hands-on expertise, advice, and answers to any questions that campers may have.

Campers visit different agencies and businesses across several industries such as construction, hospitality, medical, marketing and human resources to learn about how to start their career, which levels of education are needed and what life on the job looks like, as well as how to manage a paycheck.

Abel and other camp members pose with their dollar bills after a lesson.

“We focus on work readiness,” said Career Camp Program Manager Eliezer “Eli” Agosto. “We let students know about their ADA rights, work with them on resume building and mock job interviews and let them work as a group to solve different problems and complete different activities.”

But the biggest benefits of Career Camp occur outside the classroom. Students learned to use maps and traveled via public transportation. They visited several large employers in the area, ranging from hospitals and hotels to police and fire departments. They took a tour of the fire station witnessed emergency calls come in and the firefighters on duty get ready and go. They learned how to give CPR.

By giving campers a wide variety of experiences, CIL’s Step Ahead team hopes they come away from the experience realizing that there are several career paths they can take.

“We want our students to start thinking about their options,” he said. “We want to give them what they need to help them get where they want to go and understand what their long-term goals are and how they can start working towards them now.” (Agosto)

The results can continue to build, as many students like coming to camp so much that they come back – even when they don’t have to.

As for Abel, he is getting ready for the upcoming school year, but his time at Career Camp has him thinking farther into the future. He’s also $100 richer, as each camper earns $100 when they complete a week of camp.

“I’m very thankful to have this experience,” Abel said. “It has given me a lot more confidence. I cannot wait to get a job!”

Abel learns the process of voting and submitting a ballot from a poll worker.

CIL of Central Florida Career Camp

  • Summer, Spring and Winter break camps
  • Students can attend 2 camps per calendar year
  • Eligible students must be 14-21 and reside in a county CIL serves
  • Students who complete camp earn $100
  • For more information, reach out to Brad at BReil@cilorlando.org or 407-961-5530.

Service Animals – They’re more than pets!

Posted on | by Victoria | Leave a Comment on Service Animals – They’re more than pets!

By Matthew Louis LaGassa Published May 1, 2023

Reviewed by Victoria Wells

 

All About Service Animals

If you’ve spent any time in the past couple of years in public spaces, or even some offices, then chances are, you’ve seen an animal, usually a dog, in a vest with some variation of “do not pet” emblazoned on it. Though service animals are neither brand new nor uncommon in today’s society, knowledge of their history, rights, and behaviors, is not as widespread as it should be. In this article, we at the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida (CIL) will endeavor to shine some much-needed light on these vital animals’ history, rights, how to get one, how to properly behave around them, and even discuss their contemporaries in similar fields, like therapy animals. These animals can serve by identifying allergies, alerting to oncoming seizures or drops in blood sugar for diabetic individuals, de-escalating symptoms of PTSD and Anxiety disorders, recognizing and responding to their owner’s disassociating by leading them to safety, retrieving and reminding you to take medicine, and seeing or hearing for a person.

Their History:

Though service animals, specifically dogs, have appeared in some form in earlier American history, with “seeing eye dogs or dog guides for people with visual disabilities,” having legal protections as far back as the late 1920s, service animals as we commonly know them did not receive legal recognition until the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), in 1990 (Access Press Staff, 2019). The ADA now defines them as “any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability” (Access Press Staff; “Service Animals,” n.d.). With the exception of miniature horses “that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities,” via their own provisions in the ADA, no other species of animals can be considered service animals (Access Press Staff).

Their Colleagues:

Though only dogs and miniature horses can qualify as service animals, felines, reptiles, and many other species can qualify for similar roles: emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy animals. Emotional Support Animals can provide “emotional support alleviating one or more symptoms or effects of a person’s disability,” and may even “help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias,” but do not receive special training for “tasks that assist people with disabilities” (ADA National Network, n.d.). Comfort Animals, on the other hand, “offer a calming distraction to those impacted in an active disaster or emergency,” (ADA National Network). Finally, Therapy Animals “provide people with healing contact… to improve their physical, social, emotional, or cognitive functioning,” but neither they nor Comfort Animals are “trained to perform a specific task for an individual with a disability (ADA National Network). Despite these differences in function, these distinct groups, alongside Service Animals, all have their places in society, and enjoy rights that enable people to function at their best, regardless of location.

Their Rights and Training

As decreed by the ADA, “state and local governments, public accommodations, and commercial facilities… allow service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go” (Florida, n.d.). Exact specifications of how they are allowed vary between locations, but are all upheld by either the ADA itself, or other laws. If you or someone you know with a disability needs a Service Animal, “There are organizations who help pair a service dog with a disabled handler, and the training process takes time, substantial financial investment, and patience” (NSAR, 2022). The Service Animal-to be is first trained in “basic manners… [through] thorough socialization, impulse control and the specialized skills required to support their handler [, which continues into later stages of the process]” (NSAR). This initial stage of training concludes with the dog “passing the Public Access test and Canine Good Citizen Test, which assesses the capability of the dog to be a proper, unobtrusive helpmate in public,” (NSAR). Following this test, the dog and their prospective handler are then matched, and begin training together, “to be a working team,” with the work that this phase entails going “well beyond what usually occurs in pet dog training” (NSAR). Following training, while States cannot require Service Animals be registered, the handler can register their dog through registries like Service Dog Certifications for certain benefits, like “identifiers like a service dog identification card, tags, or vests to clearly signal their dog is an assistance animal to avoid unnecessary confrontations” (Servicedog, 2023).

Proper Conduct Around Service Animals:

Some good rules of thumb are to give the animal and their handler space, and not to pet the dog without permission from the handler. Even if a service animal is not in their vest, that should not be taken as an assumption that they are off duty; trust the handler when they say if their service animal’s on duty or not, and if anything you do directed towards one, whether it be petting them, taking pictures of them, etc., is considered too invasive of the animal’s space, stop and step back. As suggested by Jacquie Brennan and Vinh Nguyen (2023) giving the service animal and handler space is also a viable strategy if you are either allergic to or afraid of dogs: “Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals.” This all may not sound revolutionary to you, especially when you likely exhibit similar behavior around animals in general, but considering the importance of service animals, and the possible penalties one may face for obstructing them, it is worth mentioning.

Reviewing Their Importance:

For as long as the ADA has stood, so too have the many service animals and their handlers that have tirelessly stood as models for the equity and inclusion of all individuals with disabilities in all facets of everyday life. Next time you see one of these pairs, in or out of vest, we at the CIL hope that you remember their storied history and duties and, whether as a handler or spectator, always respect these very good dogs, and miniature horses, and their colleagues as emotional support, comfort, and therapy animals, in all that they do. As ardent supporters of the Independent Living Movement, we have always believed in the importance of community understanding and empowerment in ensuring all can live independent lives, and through these positions, we are honored to include animals in these shared empowering bonds.

 

References:

  • Access Press Staff. (2019, January 9). HISTORY NOTE: The History of Service Dogs and the Protections They Have. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://mn.gov/mnddc/past/access_press/Access_Press_01-19.pdf
  • Everything you need to know about service dogs. NSARCO. (2022, April 26). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.nsarco.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-service-dogs/
  • Florida, D. R. (n.d.). Service animals. Disability Rights Florida. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/disability-topics/disability_topic_info/service_animals
  • Service animal or emotional support animal: What’s the difference? ADA National Network. (2023, March 22). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://adata.org/service-animal-resource-hub/differences
  • Service animals and emotional support animals. ADA National Network. (2023, March 21). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://adata.org/guide/service-animals-and-emotional-support-animals
  • Servicedog. (2023, March 9). How can I get my dog to be a registered service dog? Service Dog Certifications. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-register-service-dog/

 

 

Let’s Talk About Autism

Posted on | by Victoria | Leave a Comment on Let’s Talk About Autism

By Matthew Louis LaGassa Published April 20, 2023

Reviewed by Victoria Wells

 

About the Author:

Matthew Louis LaGassa (born March 2002) was diagnosed Autistic when he was two years old, and has always thought of his neurodivergency as a core part of his identity. Outside of his internship here at CIL, he’s a Junior year student at Rollins College, majoring in English and minoring in Writing, with a knack for analytical essay writing. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, videogames, tabletop roleplaying games, and baking.

 

Language:

Hello readers! It’s me, the intern, Matthew LaGassa again! You may know that April is Autism Awareness Month, but to many of my fellow people on the Autism Spectrum, we prefer Autism Acceptance Month. Autism awareness cannot exist on its own, it must be followed up with Autism acceptance. To spread them both, I’m honored to speak through CIL about my experiences regarding life on the spectrum.

Historically, different terms have been used to describe various manifestations of Autism. The ones I knew the most growing up were High Functioning Autism and Low Functioning Autism. These labels were based on differences in exhibited traits and mental capabilities, with my own Autism classifying me as a High Functioning Autistic. Nowadays, these distinctions are decried by the community at large for their failings to notice the intricacies and factors that can influence our capabilities and mental health daily. Similarly, our community also refuses to use the term Asperger’s Syndrome due to its namesake, the late Hans Asperger, having been a member of the Nazi Regime in Germany.

To quote to my previous article “Do you Know how to Refer to Someone with a Disability”, referring to Autism commonly falls under the two most prevalent disability referral languages: person-first language, which “puts a person before their diagnosis,” and identity-first language, which “leads with a person’s diagnosis.” The phrases that best fit for Autism, are “Person with Autism,” and “Autistic.” Personally, I’ve never been shy about embracing identity first language, as “I’ve always considered my Autism a vital part of who I am,” and I know that there are others in the community who feel the same way, but that doesn’t invalidate those in the community who to prefer person-first language.

 

All-Mentality:

Let’s address the All-Mentality regarding Autistic Individuals by shining a light on the varied ways Autism presents itself (and doesn’t). When you think of Autism, what traits come to mind? For the more well-read, I’d assume the images of difficulties socializing, preferring to be alone, restrictive interests, and maybe even meltdowns come to mind. Though such traits are well researched as common symptoms, they certainly don’t manifest the same way for many of us, despite many others’ claims. This is the “All Mentality” at work – the mentality that assumes everyone within a certain group shares the same behaviors, interests, skills, or other aspects that can actually vary greatly between people. We see stereotypes all the time in society, especially ones directed towards racial/ethnics minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, and religious denominations. You may have had to confront stereotypes in your own life before because of your position in at least one of these communities, and for Autistics, we certainly have to as well.

One stereotype I had to grow up with, having been diagnoses Autistic very young, was that all autistic individuals were good at math because films like the 1988 comedy-drama Rain Man, propagated this misinformation broadly. I’ve always been a living antithesis of this stereotype; Math is easily my worst subject in school! English has, and always will be, where my proficiencies lie.

Assuming Autistic people all have the same behaviors, difficulties, etc., is never the answer. Autism Spectrum Disorder has the word “Spectrum,” in its name for good reason; there are so many ways Autism can present itself, and we’re all deserving of being treated as equals, free from others’ assumptions of ourselves, and being listened to when we talk about how our Autism impacts our lives.

 

Do you think you’re autistic?

Now that you’ve learned a little about Autism, we want to ask you, “Do you think you’re Autistic?” I am joined by a CIL Case Manager to lay out a path towards diagnosis for all ages and vouch for it and the accommodations it has given us with our own life stories.

If you’ve spent any amount of time on social media as of late, especially Tik Tok, you’ve probably encountered a post or two about traits or behaviors shared by Autistics, such as sensitivity to sound and touch, a need for routine, preference for bland food, etc., and you may even exhibit some of these traits; though having these traits doesn’t automatically make you autistic, identifying such traits can be a good first step on the way to self-diagnosis. If you want to explore your possible autism further, you can look up the latest definitions of Autism from the latest trusted sources like the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM V); take the RAADS-R test which was developed as a starting point to getting a diagnosis-you can take this test online and it produces a 97% accurate result; And you can delve deeper into online communities of Autistic people, such as blogs, social media sites, or forums such Autistic Truth or r/autism. Autism can present itself very differently across the gender spectrum, so make sure to look for resources that best match your gender identity.

Once you’ve solidified your self-diagnosis, you may want to start looking into an official one via trusted medical help, typically a psychiatrist, psychologist, neurologist, or potentially a pediatrician. The process can vary greatly between children and adults, but if all goes well, you’ll have an official answer one way or another. Once you do have your diagnosis, it’s time to apply for it and get the accommodations you need to succeed in life, such as at school or work. As we can attest to, recognizing our Autism, and being surrounded by those who do as well has done wonders for our experiences in both our work/academic and personal lives.

CIL Case Manager: Technically, I do not have a formal autism diagnosis. When I was in first or second grade, my mom had me tested for ADD (now under the umbrella term ADHD) and I received that diagnosis. In that time, it didn’t do much other than get me a prescription and an understanding that I would be chronically unorganized. When I was 18, I was told no more medication – that’s only for kids – and best of luck in the world! I went from the age of 18 to 35 with no supports, accommodations, or anything besides the occasional “squirrel!” joke. Then I started learning more about what autism is and what it looked like. What it looked like was a lot like me. I took RAADS-R and scored very high and began looking into accommodations that might help me. My biggest accommodation has been a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that I wear every day. I can still hear conversations, but it blocks a lot of the smaller, irritating noises that stress me out. I now understand that when I feel overwhelmed that I’m not being “crazy”, I’m experiencing a meltdown. At this time in my life, I don’t need an official diagnosis as my current work allows my accommodation, but having a diagnosis earlier in life would have made things much easier.

Matthew: As many of our readers should know by now, I was diagnosed when I was very young, and have been fortunate to have received many helpful tutors and accommodations. As tedious and exhausting as psychoeducational testing was for me, it’s been the cornerstone of the accommodations I appreciate to this day. As a Rollins student, I have preferential seating in the back of my classrooms, so that I’m not distracted by any classmates behind me, but the majority of my accommodations manifest when I take exams. I receive additional time on my exams, as well as a separate room to take said exams in order to help me focus on them; I’m also able to schedule my exams for dates and times different from the syllabi, so that I don’t have multiple exams on the same day, or days close to each-other. Outside of my academic life, I do my best to take care of myself, especially when recognizing if I feel overwhelmed and on the verge of a meltdown. I can reach out to people I trust, like my family or therapists to help me through the worst of it, and I wouldn’t trade my Autism for any other way of life.

For this April to truly be Autism Acceptance Month, acceptance must come in many ways, and using the correct language is one. “Listen to the language we use, recognize how the language you use to refer to us makes us feel, and give us our rightful say in how we want to be referred to. Whether we prefer people-first or identity-first language, listening to us is what truly safeguards our personhood.” Whether you’re neuro-divergent yourself, a neurotypical ally, or pondering your own potential Autism, we at CIL hope you’ve learned a lot and hope you continue learning all about Autism beyond this month. Thank you for reading!

 

References:

  • LaGassa, Matthew (March 3, 2023). “Do you know how to refer to someone with a disability?” Retrieved from: https://cilorlando.org/do-you-know-how-to-refer-to-someone-with-a-disability/