#disabledandproud — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #disabledandproud, aggregated by home.social.
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Reminder if you needed one today: it is not too late to learn the new tech.
You are not behind. Behind who? There is no race. There is just you, and the next small step, at your pace.
Go easy on yourself. You are doing fine.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Reminder if you needed one today: it is not too late to learn the new tech.
You are not behind. Behind who? There is no race. There is just you, and the next small step, at your pace.
Go easy on yourself. You are doing fine.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Reminder if you needed one today: it is not too late to learn the new tech.
You are not behind. Behind who? There is no race. There is just you, and the next small step, at your pace.
Go easy on yourself. You are doing fine.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Reminder if you needed one today: it is not too late to learn the new tech.
You are not behind. Behind who? There is no race. There is just you, and the next small step, at your pace.
Go easy on yourself. You are doing fine.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Reminder if you needed one today: it is not too late to learn the new tech.
You are not behind. Behind who? There is no race. There is just you, and the next small step, at your pace.
Go easy on yourself. You are doing fine.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Pull up a chair. #Disability #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Pull up a chair. #Disability #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Pull up a chair. #Disability #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Pull up a chair. #Disability #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Pull up a chair. #Disability #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Quiet appreciation post for the blind and low vision developers out here building the tools the big companies forgot.
Every accessible add-on, every keyboard shortcut, every "I just made my own." You are infrastructure. Keep going.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Quiet appreciation post for the blind and low vision developers out here building the tools the big companies forgot.
Every accessible add-on, every keyboard shortcut, every "I just made my own." You are infrastructure. Keep going.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Quiet appreciation post for the blind and low vision developers out here building the tools the big companies forgot.
Every accessible add-on, every keyboard shortcut, every "I just made my own." You are infrastructure. Keep going.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Quiet appreciation post for the blind and low vision developers out here building the tools the big companies forgot.
Every accessible add-on, every keyboard shortcut, every "I just made my own." You are infrastructure. Keep going.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Quiet appreciation post for the blind and low vision developers out here building the tools the big companies forgot.
Every accessible add-on, every keyboard shortcut, every "I just made my own." You are infrastructure. Keep going.
#Blind #Accessibility #DisabledAndProud -
Build higher than they assumed. #Blind #DisabledAndProud #Motivation
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Build higher than they assumed. #Blind #DisabledAndProud #Motivation
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Build higher than they assumed. #Blind #DisabledAndProud #Motivation
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Build higher than they assumed. #Blind #DisabledAndProud #Motivation
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Say it again for the folks in the back. #Blind #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Say it again for the folks in the back. #Blind #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Say it again for the folks in the back. #Blind #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Say it again for the folks in the back. #Blind #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Say it again for the folks in the back. #Blind #SelfWorth #DisabledAndProud
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Shop update!
Added LOTS of earrings today 🥳 literally 42 new pairs are now available online, so head to our website to check them out because this is only a TINY part of them 👀
Slowly making our way through having every single one of our products on the online store 💪
#MastoArt #ArtJewellery #jewelleryartisan #QueerArtist #supportqueerartists #supportqueerbusinesses #disabledandproud #PrideMonth
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Shop update!
Added LOTS of earrings today 🥳 literally 42 new pairs are now available online, so head to our website to check them out because this is only a TINY part of them 👀
Slowly making our way through having every single one of our products on the online store 💪
#MastoArt #ArtJewellery #jewelleryartisan #QueerArtist #supportqueerartists #supportqueerbusinesses #disabledandproud #PrideMonth
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Shop update!
Added LOTS of earrings today 🥳 literally 42 new pairs are now available online, so head to our website to check them out because this is only a TINY part of them 👀
Slowly making our way through having every single one of our products on the online store 💪
#MastoArt #ArtJewellery #jewelleryartisan #QueerArtist #supportqueerartists #supportqueerbusinesses #disabledandproud #PrideMonth
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Shop update!
Added LOTS of earrings today 🥳 literally 42 new pairs are now available online, so head to our website to check them out because this is only a TINY part of them 👀
Slowly making our way through having every single one of our products on the online store 💪
#MastoArt #ArtJewellery #jewelleryartisan #QueerArtist #supportqueerartists #supportqueerbusinesses #disabledandproud #PrideMonth
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36. Eine Zahl, die sich in diesen Tagen gleichzeitig federleicht und unglaublich schwer anfühlt.
Zuerst möchte ich mich bei allen Gratulierenden bedanken, die letzte Woche an mich gedacht und mich mit lieben Worten überschüttet haben. In einer Welt, die oft so laut und fordernd ist, bedeutet mir diese Aufmerksamkeit sehr viel.⬇️
#FaceSMA #DisabledAndProud #Reflexion #Birthday #HappyBirthday #Intersektionalität #Behinderung #Disability #Zeit #Community
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36. Eine Zahl, die sich in diesen Tagen gleichzeitig federleicht und unglaublich schwer anfühlt.
Zuerst möchte ich mich bei allen Gratulierenden bedanken, die letzte Woche an mich gedacht und mich mit lieben Worten überschüttet haben. In einer Welt, die oft so laut und fordernd ist, bedeutet mir diese Aufmerksamkeit sehr viel.⬇️
#FaceSMA #DisabledAndProud #Reflexion #Birthday #HappyBirthday #Intersektionalität #Behinderung #Disability #Zeit #Community
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36. Eine Zahl, die sich in diesen Tagen gleichzeitig federleicht und unglaublich schwer anfühlt.
Zuerst möchte ich mich bei allen Gratulierenden bedanken, die letzte Woche an mich gedacht und mich mit lieben Worten überschüttet haben. In einer Welt, die oft so laut und fordernd ist, bedeutet mir diese Aufmerksamkeit sehr viel.⬇️
#FaceSMA #DisabledAndProud #Reflexion #Birthday #HappyBirthday #Intersektionalität #Behinderung #Disability #Zeit #Community
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36. Eine Zahl, die sich in diesen Tagen gleichzeitig federleicht und unglaublich schwer anfühlt.
Zuerst möchte ich mich bei allen Gratulierenden bedanken, die letzte Woche an mich gedacht und mich mit lieben Worten überschüttet haben. In einer Welt, die oft so laut und fordernd ist, bedeutet mir diese Aufmerksamkeit sehr viel.⬇️
#FaceSMA #DisabledAndProud #Reflexion #Birthday #HappyBirthday #Intersektionalität #Behinderung #Disability #Zeit #Community
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36. Eine Zahl, die sich in diesen Tagen gleichzeitig federleicht und unglaublich schwer anfühlt.
Zuerst möchte ich mich bei allen Gratulierenden bedanken, die letzte Woche an mich gedacht und mich mit lieben Worten überschüttet haben. In einer Welt, die oft so laut und fordernd ist, bedeutet mir diese Aufmerksamkeit sehr viel.⬇️
#FaceSMA #DisabledAndProud #Reflexion #Birthday #HappyBirthday #Intersektionalität #Behinderung #Disability #Zeit #Community
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Endlich wieder draußen! ✨ Nach zwei Wochen, die sich wie eine Ewigkeit angefühlt haben, war ich heute zum ersten Mal wieder außerhalb meiner Wohnung. 🏡⬇️
#SMA #SpinaleMuskelatrophie #LebenMitSMA #FaceSMA #SmallWins #Relief #Meilenstein #OutandAbout #Cinnamood #Erleichterung #Dankbarkeit #DisabledAndProud #Disability #Behinderung #Inkluencer
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Endlich wieder draußen! ✨ Nach zwei Wochen, die sich wie eine Ewigkeit angefühlt haben, war ich heute zum ersten Mal wieder außerhalb meiner Wohnung. 🏡⬇️
#SMA #SpinaleMuskelatrophie #LebenMitSMA #FaceSMA #SmallWins #Relief #Meilenstein #OutandAbout #Cinnamood #Erleichterung #Dankbarkeit #DisabledAndProud #Disability #Behinderung #Inkluencer
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Endlich wieder draußen! ✨ Nach zwei Wochen, die sich wie eine Ewigkeit angefühlt haben, war ich heute zum ersten Mal wieder außerhalb meiner Wohnung. 🏡⬇️
#SMA #SpinaleMuskelatrophie #LebenMitSMA #FaceSMA #SmallWins #Relief #Meilenstein #OutandAbout #Cinnamood #Erleichterung #Dankbarkeit #DisabledAndProud #Disability #Behinderung #Inkluencer
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Endlich wieder draußen! ✨ Nach zwei Wochen, die sich wie eine Ewigkeit angefühlt haben, war ich heute zum ersten Mal wieder außerhalb meiner Wohnung. 🏡⬇️
#SMA #SpinaleMuskelatrophie #LebenMitSMA #FaceSMA #SmallWins #Relief #Meilenstein #OutandAbout #Cinnamood #Erleichterung #Dankbarkeit #DisabledAndProud #Disability #Behinderung #Inkluencer
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Endlich wieder draußen! ✨ Nach zwei Wochen, die sich wie eine Ewigkeit angefühlt haben, war ich heute zum ersten Mal wieder außerhalb meiner Wohnung. 🏡⬇️
#SMA #SpinaleMuskelatrophie #LebenMitSMA #FaceSMA #SmallWins #Relief #Meilenstein #OutandAbout #Cinnamood #Erleichterung #Dankbarkeit #DisabledAndProud #Disability #Behinderung #Inkluencer
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Heute ist der Internationale Tag der Menschen mit Behinderung und ich denke an mein jüngeres Ich. An einen jungen Menschen, dem niemand zutraute, jemals sichtbar zu sein. Der ohne Vorbilder aufwuchs, in einer Welt, die behinderte Leben klein hält.⬇️
#InternationalerTagDerMenschenMitBehinderung #Behinderung #Inklusion #Inkluencer #Disability #FaceSMA #DisabilityJustice #DisabledAndProud #BarrierefreiheitJetzt #CripPride #DisabledVoices #HumanRights #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #DisabilityPower
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Heute ist der Internationale Tag der Menschen mit Behinderung und ich denke an mein jüngeres Ich. An einen jungen Menschen, dem niemand zutraute, jemals sichtbar zu sein. Der ohne Vorbilder aufwuchs, in einer Welt, die behinderte Leben klein hält.⬇️
#InternationalerTagDerMenschenMitBehinderung #Behinderung #Inklusion #Inkluencer #Disability #FaceSMA #DisabilityJustice #DisabledAndProud #BarrierefreiheitJetzt #CripPride #DisabledVoices #HumanRights #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #DisabilityPower
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Heute ist der Internationale Tag der Menschen mit Behinderung und ich denke an mein jüngeres Ich. An einen jungen Menschen, dem niemand zutraute, jemals sichtbar zu sein. Der ohne Vorbilder aufwuchs, in einer Welt, die behinderte Leben klein hält.⬇️
#InternationalerTagDerMenschenMitBehinderung #Behinderung #Inklusion #Inkluencer #Disability #FaceSMA #DisabilityJustice #DisabledAndProud #BarrierefreiheitJetzt #CripPride #DisabledVoices #HumanRights #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #DisabilityPower
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Heute ist der Internationale Tag der Menschen mit Behinderung und ich denke an mein jüngeres Ich. An einen jungen Menschen, dem niemand zutraute, jemals sichtbar zu sein. Der ohne Vorbilder aufwuchs, in einer Welt, die behinderte Leben klein hält.⬇️
#InternationalerTagDerMenschenMitBehinderung #Behinderung #Inklusion #Inkluencer #Disability #FaceSMA #DisabilityJustice #DisabledAndProud #BarrierefreiheitJetzt #CripPride #DisabledVoices #HumanRights #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #DisabilityPower
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Wenn Menschen wie ich politisch Stellung beziehen, kommt sofort der immer gleiche alte ableistische Reflex: Wir seien "missbraucht", "vorgeschoben" oder "manipuliert". Dahinter steckt kein Zufall, es ist eine Strategie.⬇️
#DisabilityJustice #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #Disability #IntersectionalFeminism #QueerAndDisabled #AntiAbleism #Ableism #AntiRacism #QueerResistance #DisabledAndProud #Solidarity #Solidarität #Inklusion #SolidarityIsPower #MarginalizedVoices #Behinderung #FaceSMA
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Wenn Menschen wie ich politisch Stellung beziehen, kommt sofort der immer gleiche alte ableistische Reflex: Wir seien "missbraucht", "vorgeschoben" oder "manipuliert". Dahinter steckt kein Zufall, es ist eine Strategie.⬇️
#DisabilityJustice #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #Disability #IntersectionalFeminism #QueerAndDisabled #AntiAbleism #Ableism #AntiRacism #QueerResistance #DisabledAndProud #Solidarity #Solidarität #Inklusion #SolidarityIsPower #MarginalizedVoices #Behinderung #FaceSMA
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Wenn Menschen wie ich politisch Stellung beziehen, kommt sofort der immer gleiche alte ableistische Reflex: Wir seien "missbraucht", "vorgeschoben" oder "manipuliert". Dahinter steckt kein Zufall, es ist eine Strategie.⬇️
#DisabilityJustice #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #Disability #IntersectionalFeminism #QueerAndDisabled #AntiAbleism #Ableism #AntiRacism #QueerResistance #DisabledAndProud #Solidarity #Solidarität #Inklusion #SolidarityIsPower #MarginalizedVoices #Behinderung #FaceSMA
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Wenn Menschen wie ich politisch Stellung beziehen, kommt sofort der immer gleiche alte ableistische Reflex: Wir seien "missbraucht", "vorgeschoben" oder "manipuliert". Dahinter steckt kein Zufall, es ist eine Strategie.⬇️
#DisabilityJustice #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #Disability #IntersectionalFeminism #QueerAndDisabled #AntiAbleism #Ableism #AntiRacism #QueerResistance #DisabledAndProud #Solidarity #Solidarität #Inklusion #SolidarityIsPower #MarginalizedVoices #Behinderung #FaceSMA
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Wenn Menschen wie ich politisch Stellung beziehen, kommt sofort der immer gleiche alte ableistische Reflex: Wir seien "missbraucht", "vorgeschoben" oder "manipuliert". Dahinter steckt kein Zufall, es ist eine Strategie.⬇️
#DisabilityJustice #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #Disability #IntersectionalFeminism #QueerAndDisabled #AntiAbleism #Ableism #AntiRacism #QueerResistance #DisabledAndProud #Solidarity #Solidarität #Inklusion #SolidarityIsPower #MarginalizedVoices #Behinderung #FaceSMA
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Vor einer Woche durfte ich in Zusammenarbeit mit Lambda den Workshop "Queer, behindert, begehrbar?! – Ein Raum für uns" im Sub veranstalten.⬇️
#QueerDisabledProud #Intersectionality #CommunityCare #CommunitySupport #LGBTQIA #Queer #DisabledAndProud #SafeSpacesMatter #SafeSpace #QueerMunich #SubMuenchen #München #Lambda #Empowerment #QueerAndDisabled #Inklusion #Inkluencer #Inclusion #Diversity #Disability #DisabilityAwareness #Behinderung
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Vor einer Woche durfte ich in Zusammenarbeit mit Lambda den Workshop "Queer, behindert, begehrbar?! – Ein Raum für uns" im Sub veranstalten.⬇️
#QueerDisabledProud #Intersectionality #CommunityCare #CommunitySupport #LGBTQIA #Queer #DisabledAndProud #SafeSpacesMatter #SafeSpace #QueerMunich #SubMuenchen #München #Lambda #Empowerment #QueerAndDisabled #Inklusion #Inkluencer #Inclusion #Diversity #Disability #DisabilityAwareness #Behinderung
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Vor einer Woche durfte ich in Zusammenarbeit mit Lambda den Workshop "Queer, behindert, begehrbar?! – Ein Raum für uns" im Sub veranstalten.⬇️
#QueerDisabledProud #Intersectionality #CommunityCare #CommunitySupport #LGBTQIA #Queer #DisabledAndProud #SafeSpacesMatter #SafeSpace #QueerMunich #SubMuenchen #München #Lambda #Empowerment #QueerAndDisabled #Inklusion #Inkluencer #Inclusion #Diversity #Disability #DisabilityAwareness #Behinderung
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Vor einer Woche durfte ich in Zusammenarbeit mit Lambda den Workshop "Queer, behindert, begehrbar?! – Ein Raum für uns" im Sub veranstalten.⬇️
#QueerDisabledProud #Intersectionality #CommunityCare #CommunitySupport #LGBTQIA #Queer #DisabledAndProud #SafeSpacesMatter #SafeSpace #QueerMunich #SubMuenchen #München #Lambda #Empowerment #QueerAndDisabled #Inklusion #Inkluencer #Inclusion #Diversity #Disability #DisabilityAwareness #Behinderung
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I am autistic and have other disabilities. And like many, life has been shaped by exclusion, by being told I had to prove my worth and being treated as if my differences were flaws. That is why Donald Trump’s recent claim has cut so deeply. He said that autism could be prevented if mothers avoided paracetamol in pregnancy.
This is not true, and there is no credible scientific evidence that paracetamol causes autism. In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has said paracetamol is safe in pregnancy when used correctly. Autism Awareness Australia has stated there is no single cause of autism, and the Queensland Brain Institute has explained that autism arises from a complex mix of genetics and environment, not from one factor or one drug. These are facts.
What disturbs me most is the falsehood and the message underneath it. It suggests autistic people are broken and need fixing. It says our lives should have been avoided. This reflects the medical model of disability at its harshest: treating people as conditions, as deficits, as problems to be eliminated. I have lived with that view pressed on me from many directions. In classrooms where teachers assumed I could not learn. In communities that treated access as optional. In workplaces that demanded I change rather than the environment. These words from Trump echo every time I was told that I was less.
When I think of these remarks, I think of autistic children who will grow up hearing that they should not exist. I think of parents who will carry guilt, believing they did something wrong. I think of how easily this same logic spreads to every disability. If autism can be framed as awful, so can blindness, deafness, mobility impairments, or mental illness. This is the danger.
These ideas do not stay in speeches. They shape policies, schools, healthcare, and workplaces. They decide whether disabled people are offered jobs or whether society sees us as worth investing in. If disability is framed as a burden, exclusion is normalised. If it is framed as a tragedy, pity replaces equality. If it is framed as preventable, our very existence is questioned.
I want to say clearly that autism is not a disease and does not need to be cured. Autism is part of human diversity. Autistic people bring creativity, honesty, focus, persistence, depth, and community. We are musicians, writers, carers, scientists, leaders, neighbours, friends. Our lives are meaningful. Our contributions are real. We are not mistakes.
In fact, the autistic scholar Dr Damian Milton speaks of the “double empathy problem,” which reframes autism not as a lack, but as a difference in communication between autistic and non-autistic people. Autism is not the absence of humanity, but a different way of being human. That reframing is what society needs, not rhetoric that blames mothers or devalues children.
I also know this is not only about the United States. Here in Australia, we face our own battles with underfunded systems, with access treated as optional, with stereotypes that devalue our lives. Harmful ideas spread quickly across borders, and when a leader with influence speaks them, they ripple out everywhere.
So let us be clear. Autism cannot be prevented by avoiding paracetamol. What must be prevented is the harm caused by words that tell disabled people they are less. We deserve respect, dignity, access, and a fulfilling life. That is not optional. That is not negotiable.
To every autistic person: you are not broken. You are not a problem. You are worthy as you are. To parents: do not carry guilt. Carry pride in your children and the richness they bring.
We must confront misinformation. We must resist the medical model when it reduces us to conditions. We must insist on the truth: barriers come not from our neurology or bodies, but from inaccessible environments and prejudice. Autism is not something to be eliminated. It is something to be understood, respected, and embraced.
#AutismAcceptance #DisabilityRights #Neurodiversity #ActuallyAutistic #DisabledAndProud #RespectDignityAccess #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #StopAbleism #InclusionMatters #HumanRights
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I am autistic and have other disabilities. And like many, life has been shaped by exclusion, by being told I had to prove my worth and being treated as if my differences were flaws. That is why Donald Trump’s recent claim has cut so deeply. He said that autism could be prevented if mothers avoided paracetamol in pregnancy.
This is not true, and there is no credible scientific evidence that paracetamol causes autism. In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has said paracetamol is safe in pregnancy when used correctly. Autism Awareness Australia has stated there is no single cause of autism, and the Queensland Brain Institute has explained that autism arises from a complex mix of genetics and environment, not from one factor or one drug. These are facts.
What disturbs me most is the falsehood and the message underneath it. It suggests autistic people are broken and need fixing. It says our lives should have been avoided. This reflects the medical model of disability at its harshest: treating people as conditions, as deficits, as problems to be eliminated. I have lived with that view pressed on me from many directions. In classrooms where teachers assumed I could not learn. In communities that treated access as optional. In workplaces that demanded I change rather than the environment. These words from Trump echo every time I was told that I was less.
When I think of these remarks, I think of autistic children who will grow up hearing that they should not exist. I think of parents who will carry guilt, believing they did something wrong. I think of how easily this same logic spreads to every disability. If autism can be framed as awful, so can blindness, deafness, mobility impairments, or mental illness. This is the danger.
These ideas do not stay in speeches. They shape policies, schools, healthcare, and workplaces. They decide whether disabled people are offered jobs or whether society sees us as worth investing in. If disability is framed as a burden, exclusion is normalised. If it is framed as a tragedy, pity replaces equality. If it is framed as preventable, our very existence is questioned.
I want to say clearly that autism is not a disease and does not need to be cured. Autism is part of human diversity. Autistic people bring creativity, honesty, focus, persistence, depth, and community. We are musicians, writers, carers, scientists, leaders, neighbours, friends. Our lives are meaningful. Our contributions are real. We are not mistakes.
In fact, the autistic scholar Dr Damian Milton speaks of the “double empathy problem,” which reframes autism not as a lack, but as a difference in communication between autistic and non-autistic people. Autism is not the absence of humanity, but a different way of being human. That reframing is what society needs, not rhetoric that blames mothers or devalues children.
I also know this is not only about the United States. Here in Australia, we face our own battles with underfunded systems, with access treated as optional, with stereotypes that devalue our lives. Harmful ideas spread quickly across borders, and when a leader with influence speaks them, they ripple out everywhere.
So let us be clear. Autism cannot be prevented by avoiding paracetamol. What must be prevented is the harm caused by words that tell disabled people they are less. We deserve respect, dignity, access, and a fulfilling life. That is not optional. That is not negotiable.
To every autistic person: you are not broken. You are not a problem. You are worthy as you are. To parents: do not carry guilt. Carry pride in your children and the richness they bring.
We must confront misinformation. We must resist the medical model when it reduces us to conditions. We must insist on the truth: barriers come not from our neurology or bodies, but from inaccessible environments and prejudice. Autism is not something to be eliminated. It is something to be understood, respected, and embraced.
#AutismAcceptance #DisabilityRights #Neurodiversity #ActuallyAutistic #DisabledAndProud #RespectDignityAccess #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #StopAbleism #InclusionMatters #HumanRights
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I am autistic and have other disabilities. And like many, life has been shaped by exclusion, by being told I had to prove my worth and being treated as if my differences were flaws. That is why Donald Trump’s recent claim has cut so deeply. He said that autism could be prevented if mothers avoided paracetamol in pregnancy.
This is not true, and there is no credible scientific evidence that paracetamol causes autism. In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has said paracetamol is safe in pregnancy when used correctly. Autism Awareness Australia has stated there is no single cause of autism, and the Queensland Brain Institute has explained that autism arises from a complex mix of genetics and environment, not from one factor or one drug. These are facts.
What disturbs me most is the falsehood and the message underneath it. It suggests autistic people are broken and need fixing. It says our lives should have been avoided. This reflects the medical model of disability at its harshest: treating people as conditions, as deficits, as problems to be eliminated. I have lived with that view pressed on me from many directions. In classrooms where teachers assumed I could not learn. In communities that treated access as optional. In workplaces that demanded I change rather than the environment. These words from Trump echo every time I was told that I was less.
When I think of these remarks, I think of autistic children who will grow up hearing that they should not exist. I think of parents who will carry guilt, believing they did something wrong. I think of how easily this same logic spreads to every disability. If autism can be framed as awful, so can blindness, deafness, mobility impairments, or mental illness. This is the danger.
These ideas do not stay in speeches. They shape policies, schools, healthcare, and workplaces. They decide whether disabled people are offered jobs or whether society sees us as worth investing in. If disability is framed as a burden, exclusion is normalised. If it is framed as a tragedy, pity replaces equality. If it is framed as preventable, our very existence is questioned.
I want to say clearly that autism is not a disease and does not need to be cured. Autism is part of human diversity. Autistic people bring creativity, honesty, focus, persistence, depth, and community. We are musicians, writers, carers, scientists, leaders, neighbours, friends. Our lives are meaningful. Our contributions are real. We are not mistakes.
In fact, the autistic scholar Dr Damian Milton speaks of the “double empathy problem,” which reframes autism not as a lack, but as a difference in communication between autistic and non-autistic people. Autism is not the absence of humanity, but a different way of being human. That reframing is what society needs, not rhetoric that blames mothers or devalues children.
I also know this is not only about the United States. Here in Australia, we face our own battles with underfunded systems, with access treated as optional, with stereotypes that devalue our lives. Harmful ideas spread quickly across borders, and when a leader with influence speaks them, they ripple out everywhere.
So let us be clear. Autism cannot be prevented by avoiding paracetamol. What must be prevented is the harm caused by words that tell disabled people they are less. We deserve respect, dignity, access, and a fulfilling life. That is not optional. That is not negotiable.
To every autistic person: you are not broken. You are not a problem. You are worthy as you are. To parents: do not carry guilt. Carry pride in your children and the richness they bring.
We must confront misinformation. We must resist the medical model when it reduces us to conditions. We must insist on the truth: barriers come not from our neurology or bodies, but from inaccessible environments and prejudice. Autism is not something to be eliminated. It is something to be understood, respected, and embraced.
#AutismAcceptance #DisabilityRights #Neurodiversity #ActuallyAutistic #DisabledAndProud #RespectDignityAccess #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #StopAbleism #InclusionMatters #HumanRights
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I am autistic and have other disabilities. And like many, life has been shaped by exclusion, by being told I had to prove my worth and being treated as if my differences were flaws. That is why Donald Trump’s recent claim has cut so deeply. He said that autism could be prevented if mothers avoided paracetamol in pregnancy.
This is not true, and there is no credible scientific evidence that paracetamol causes autism. In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has said paracetamol is safe in pregnancy when used correctly. Autism Awareness Australia has stated there is no single cause of autism, and the Queensland Brain Institute has explained that autism arises from a complex mix of genetics and environment, not from one factor or one drug. These are facts.
What disturbs me most is the falsehood and the message underneath it. It suggests autistic people are broken and need fixing. It says our lives should have been avoided. This reflects the medical model of disability at its harshest: treating people as conditions, as deficits, as problems to be eliminated. I have lived with that view pressed on me from many directions. In classrooms where teachers assumed I could not learn. In communities that treated access as optional. In workplaces that demanded I change rather than the environment. These words from Trump echo every time I was told that I was less.
When I think of these remarks, I think of autistic children who will grow up hearing that they should not exist. I think of parents who will carry guilt, believing they did something wrong. I think of how easily this same logic spreads to every disability. If autism can be framed as awful, so can blindness, deafness, mobility impairments, or mental illness. This is the danger.
These ideas do not stay in speeches. They shape policies, schools, healthcare, and workplaces. They decide whether disabled people are offered jobs or whether society sees us as worth investing in. If disability is framed as a burden, exclusion is normalised. If it is framed as a tragedy, pity replaces equality. If it is framed as preventable, our very existence is questioned.
I want to say clearly that autism is not a disease and does not need to be cured. Autism is part of human diversity. Autistic people bring creativity, honesty, focus, persistence, depth, and community. We are musicians, writers, carers, scientists, leaders, neighbours, friends. Our lives are meaningful. Our contributions are real. We are not mistakes.
In fact, the autistic scholar Dr Damian Milton speaks of the “double empathy problem,” which reframes autism not as a lack, but as a difference in communication between autistic and non-autistic people. Autism is not the absence of humanity, but a different way of being human. That reframing is what society needs, not rhetoric that blames mothers or devalues children.
I also know this is not only about the United States. Here in Australia, we face our own battles with underfunded systems, with access treated as optional, with stereotypes that devalue our lives. Harmful ideas spread quickly across borders, and when a leader with influence speaks them, they ripple out everywhere.
So let us be clear. Autism cannot be prevented by avoiding paracetamol. What must be prevented is the harm caused by words that tell disabled people they are less. We deserve respect, dignity, access, and a fulfilling life. That is not optional. That is not negotiable.
To every autistic person: you are not broken. You are not a problem. You are worthy as you are. To parents: do not carry guilt. Carry pride in your children and the richness they bring.
We must confront misinformation. We must resist the medical model when it reduces us to conditions. We must insist on the truth: barriers come not from our neurology or bodies, but from inaccessible environments and prejudice. Autism is not something to be eliminated. It is something to be understood, respected, and embraced.
#AutismAcceptance #DisabilityRights #Neurodiversity #ActuallyAutistic #DisabledAndProud #RespectDignityAccess #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #StopAbleism #InclusionMatters #HumanRights
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I am autistic and have other disabilities. And like many, life has been shaped by exclusion, by being told I had to prove my worth and being treated as if my differences were flaws. That is why Donald Trump’s recent claim has cut so deeply. He said that autism could be prevented if mothers avoided paracetamol in pregnancy.
This is not true, and there is no credible scientific evidence that paracetamol causes autism. In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has said paracetamol is safe in pregnancy when used correctly. Autism Awareness Australia has stated there is no single cause of autism, and the Queensland Brain Institute has explained that autism arises from a complex mix of genetics and environment, not from one factor or one drug. These are facts.
What disturbs me most is the falsehood and the message underneath it. It suggests autistic people are broken and need fixing. It says our lives should have been avoided. This reflects the medical model of disability at its harshest: treating people as conditions, as deficits, as problems to be eliminated. I have lived with that view pressed on me from many directions. In classrooms where teachers assumed I could not learn. In communities that treated access as optional. In workplaces that demanded I change rather than the environment. These words from Trump echo every time I was told that I was less.
When I think of these remarks, I think of autistic children who will grow up hearing that they should not exist. I think of parents who will carry guilt, believing they did something wrong. I think of how easily this same logic spreads to every disability. If autism can be framed as awful, so can blindness, deafness, mobility impairments, or mental illness. This is the danger.
These ideas do not stay in speeches. They shape policies, schools, healthcare, and workplaces. They decide whether disabled people are offered jobs or whether society sees us as worth investing in. If disability is framed as a burden, exclusion is normalised. If it is framed as a tragedy, pity replaces equality. If it is framed as preventable, our very existence is questioned.
I want to say clearly that autism is not a disease and does not need to be cured. Autism is part of human diversity. Autistic people bring creativity, honesty, focus, persistence, depth, and community. We are musicians, writers, carers, scientists, leaders, neighbours, friends. Our lives are meaningful. Our contributions are real. We are not mistakes.
In fact, the autistic scholar Dr Damian Milton speaks of the “double empathy problem,” which reframes autism not as a lack, but as a difference in communication between autistic and non-autistic people. Autism is not the absence of humanity, but a different way of being human. That reframing is what society needs, not rhetoric that blames mothers or devalues children.
I also know this is not only about the United States. Here in Australia, we face our own battles with underfunded systems, with access treated as optional, with stereotypes that devalue our lives. Harmful ideas spread quickly across borders, and when a leader with influence speaks them, they ripple out everywhere.
So let us be clear. Autism cannot be prevented by avoiding paracetamol. What must be prevented is the harm caused by words that tell disabled people they are less. We deserve respect, dignity, access, and a fulfilling life. That is not optional. That is not negotiable.
To every autistic person: you are not broken. You are not a problem. You are worthy as you are. To parents: do not carry guilt. Carry pride in your children and the richness they bring.
We must confront misinformation. We must resist the medical model when it reduces us to conditions. We must insist on the truth: barriers come not from our neurology or bodies, but from inaccessible environments and prejudice. Autism is not something to be eliminated. It is something to be understood, respected, and embraced.
#AutismAcceptance #DisabilityRights #Neurodiversity #ActuallyAutistic #DisabledAndProud #RespectDignityAccess #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #StopAbleism #InclusionMatters #HumanRights
