At our February 23 meeting view and discuss William Davenport’s bold new film, Citizen Autistic, featuring AASCEND participants Landon Bryce, Robyn Steward, Ari Ne’eman, Zoe Gross, Rudy Simone and others – with cameos by many AASCEND members. William Davenport directed the earlier AASCEND-related film, Too Sane for This World. (If you like the new film you can support it here.)
Citizen Autistic is not bland. It spotlights the divide between autistic self-advocates and organizations seeking a cure for severe forms of autism. This advance screening can serve like a focus group: Come air your opinion and we’ll pass useful feedback on to the filmmaker. Is the film’s message needlessly divisive or is its message needed to guarantee the acceptance, representation and support for autistic people? Does the film reflect our views and approach as an organization? These are not easy questions, but together we’ll bravely tackle them and related questions about coping with being different in a neurotypical world:
* How do you experience neurotypical reactions to your autism?
* How have you dealt with it personally and has it worked?
* Do any forms of autism merit a search for cures?
* As a neurotypical parent do you feel heard by autism self-advocates?
* Do disabilities like cerebral palsy give appropriate models for how to both accept and in some cases seek to cure a condition?
* Have you ever felt discriminated against because of your autism?
* Have autistic rights become a full-fledged civil rights issue like those faced by minorities, gays, and the disabled?
There won’t be time for all these questions, of course, but the discussion should be lively. Come and join the fun!
When: Sat Feb 23, 10am – Noon
Where: The Arc of SF 1500 Howard St. 11th St. SF, CA 94103 map