Empowering Leadership - Autistic Self Advocacy Network

133 Pages·2013·1.37 MB·English

by  Melody Latimer

Empowering
Leadership
A Systems Change Guide for

Autistic College Students
and Those with Other Disabilities

A Collaborative Project Funded by

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Copyright ©2013 ASAN Autistic Self Advocacy Network PO Box 66122 Washington, DC 20035
http://autisticadvocacy.org
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, distributed, or transmitted by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior
written consent of the publisher. Authors have retained the rights to their individual work.
First Edition July 2013
ISBN-13: 978-1-938800-04-7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.
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Table of Contents

Forward 11
Linda Walder Fiddle
Introduction 12
Ari Ne’eman

Organizing 15

Disability Student Groups and Event Planning 17
Allegra Stout
Setting An Agenda 20
Elizabeth Boresow
Planning Successful Events 23
Allegra Stout
Conference Planning 28
Alex Umstead
Sustaining Your Group: 31
How to Make Sure Things Keep Going Once You’ve Left College
Melanie Yergeau

Service-Provision and Accommodations 36

What are Schools Required to do Under the Law? 38
Melanie Yergeau
What are Schools Required to do Under the Law? 40
Elizabeth Boresow
What Can Schools do that Goes Beyond the Law? 46
Alec Frazier
How Students Can Cope with and Voice Their Frustrations 48
Leah Jane Grantham
Monitoring Accessibility on Your Campus 50
Allegra Stout
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Navigating Mental Health Services on Your Campus 52
Emily Kronenberger
Managing Mental Hygiene: The Care & Keeping of Your Mind 57
Leah Jane Grantham
Identifying Non-Traditional Accommodations 60
Leah Jane Grantham
Disability Services on Campus: Common Issues and Challenges 63
Alec Frazier
Questions to Ask Disability Services 64
Alec Frazier

Engaging with Administration 67

Who Is Who? Figuring out Who You Need to Contact 69
Elizabeth Boresow
Networking with Faculty/Professionals 70
Mike Liu

What Can the University do for You? Determining Your “ask” 75
Elizabeth Boresow
Engaging on Accommodation and Service Provision Issues 78
Elizabeth Boresow
Creating a Disability Cultural Center 81
Cara Liebowitz

Campaigns and Advocacy 84

A General Essay on Advocacy Goals and Priorities 86
Leah Jane Grantham
Working with Other Student Groups 88
Allegra Stout
Pushing for Change in a Campus Policy 91
Elizabeth Boresow
Promoting New Policies around Disability 92
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Elizabeth Boresow
Reversing a University Decision 91
Elizabeth Boresow
Addressing a Specific Discriminatory Faculty or Staff Member 92
Elizabeth Boresow

What Is Disability Studies? 98

Advocating or Disability Studies as Part of Systems Change 100
Allegra Stout
Interactions between Theoretical Models and Practical 104
Stakeholders: The Basis for an Integrative,
Collaborative Approach to Disabilities
Steven Kapp
Social Justice through Research 114
Steven Kapp
Social and Systems Change on Campus 122

Steven Kapp
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We give special thanks and gratitude to all of our contributors.

Linda Walder Fiddle
Ari Ne’eman
Allegra Stout
Elizabeth Boresow
Alex Umstead
Melanie Yergeau
Alec Frazier
Leah Jane Grantham
Emily Kronenberger
Mike Liu
Cara Liebowitz
Steven Kapp

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