Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network

09/03/2026

Sharing about this upcoming event, which takes place Thursday, October 8th and runs through October 29th (four consecutive Thursdays). The time is the same for each Thursday session: 4-6pm PT | 6-8pm CT | 7-9pm ET.

Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown
AWN Senior Advisor is among the panelists for this incredible series!

Caption below in quotes and image description both courtesy of Health Justice Commons.

“We are honored and excited to introduce the panelists for our Fall Political Education Series, Understanding and Transforming the Medical Industrial Complex: Rooting in Collective Care! They bring a depth of wisdom and vision from their work at multiple intersections of Disability Justice. We look forward to sharing space with them! Our panelists include:

✨ German Parodi, co-executive director of The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies

✨ Gabriel San Emeterio, co-founder of Strategies for High Impact and Long COVID Justice

✨ Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown, Esq. (祂/怹), founding executive director of Autistic People of Color Fund

Read their bios, learn more about the upcoming series, and enroll to attend via our website: https://tinyurl.com/HJCFall26PolEd

WHEN: Starts Thursday, October 8th and runs through October 29th (four consecutive Thursdays). The time is the same for each Thursday session: 4-6pm PT | 6-8pm CT | 7-9pm ET.

WHERE: Online via Zoom. Attend from anywhere!

COST: $150 - $395 sliding scale (scholarships available). No one turned away for lack of funds!

ACCESS INFO: All sessions will provide ASL and English Spanish interpretation as well as live closed captioning. All sessions will be recorded (with participant permission) for the use of participants. Haitian Creole and other language interpretation available upon request.

🎨 Artwork by haley brown”


Image 1 description: The image has a pastel blue background. On the left is a column of screenprinted graphics by artist haley brown. From top to bottom, there is a flowering plant, a snail, half of a wheelchair wheel, another snail, and the earth as seen from space. To the right of these graphics is another column. At the top is the Health Justice Commons logo. Below this is black text that says: “Meet the Series Panelists. Understanding and Transforming the Medical Industrial Complex: Rooting in Collective Care. Below this is a grid of three panelist photographs; clockwise from left, the photographs depict Germán Parodi, Gabriel San Emeterio, LMSW, and Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown.

Image 2 description: The image has a pastel blue background. In the foreground is a photograph of Germán, a Puerto Rican man with long curly hair sitting in his wheelchair on a city sidewalk, wearing a denim button-down shirt with The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies logo on it. Above the photograph is his full name in black text — Germán Parodi — and the Health Justice Commons logo. Two black and white screenprinted snails overlay the lower corners of the photograph. Below the photograph is black text that says: “Germán Parodi (he/él) is an activist, advocate, and first responder whose journey as a disabled Puertorican embodies the spirit of ‘Nothing About Us Without Us.’ As Co-Executive Director of The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies — the nation's Disability and Disaster Hub — he fights for the rights and inclusion of disabled people before, during, and after disasters in Turtle Island and worldwide.”

Image 3 description: The image has a pastel blue background. In the foreground is a photograph of Gabriel, a Mexican person with short curly dark hair sitting against a white background, wearing a pearl earring, light pink button-down shirt, and a black jacket. Above the photograph is their full name in black text — Gabriel San Emeterio, LMSW — and the Health Justice Commons logo. Two black and white screenprinted snails overlay the lower corners of the photograph. Below the photograph is black text that says: “Gabriel San Emeterio, LMSW (they/elle), is a q***r, immigrant, and disabled educator, researcher, community organizer, and activist dedicated to furthering disability justice and intersectional public health. Their work integrates critical, participatory, and liberatory frameworks to address health inequities, especially affecting LGBTQIA+ communities, immigrants, people living with HIV, and those affected by ME/CFS, Long COVID, and other complex chronic conditions. Gabriel co-founded Strategies for High Impact and Long COVID Justice, and leads the HIV Complexities Project.”

Image 4 description: The image has a pastel blue background. In the foreground is a photograph of Ly Xīnzhèn, an East Asian person in their thirties with short black hair and glasses. Ly Xīnzhèn is smiling from an armchair. They have a tuxedo cat on their lap with his tongue sticking out and are resting a hand with a turquoise ring on the cat's side. They are wearing a red top with a design of leaping and stretching cats, a handmade ceramic watermelon pin made by Katayoun Amjadi, and a necklace with a mezuzah in the design of a little home made by Sarah Day Arts. They are sitting in front of shelves with books, framed pictures, baskets, and a pothos plant. Photo by Linus Berggren. Above the photograph is their full name in black text — Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown — and the Health Justice Commons logo. Two black and white screenprinted snails overlay the lower corners of the photograph. Below the photograph is black text that says: “Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown (they/them) is an internationally recognized advocate, organizer, attorney, strategist, policy expert, and writer focused on interpersonal and state violence against disabled people at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, faith, language, and nation. They are founding executive director of The Autistic People of Color Fund, a project of collective care, redistributive justice, and mutual aid, and they have been creating Disability Justice Wisdom Tarot since 2020. Ly Xīnzhèn has taught classes on feminist disability studies, disability critical race theory, disability law and policy, and neurodiversity for multiple universities over the past ten years. Ly Xīnzhèn is also the Disability Justice Committee representative to the national executive committee at the National Lawyers Guild. They find joy and home in making and sharing food with their many beloveds, kin, and comrades.]

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CMmk3XFMC/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/02/2026

AWN joins other prominent Disability Rights organizations in signing this statement expressing our deep concern over the IACC (Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee) Plan passing

You can read the statement in full at the link below

September 2, 2026: Last week, we shared our deep concern that the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) was shutting the community out of important decisions […]

09/02/2026

September is National Su***de Prevention Month. Sharing this post from thereclaimed Instagram page on the topic of su***de prevention

[image description:

Black text on white background reads:

“As we talk about su***de prevention, we must remember that:

Food access

Livable wages

Affordable healthcare access

Affordable housing

Mental health access

Gender affirming care

Wellness access

Quality education access

Skills development

are all su***de prevention.

But also,

Ending domestic violence

Ending sexual violence

Ending ableism

Ending homophobia

Ending misogyny

Ending racism

Ending bigotry

are su***de prevention as well.”

09/02/2026

This is incredibly disappointing!

A decade-old federal rule designed to increase employment of people with disabilities will soon be no more.

09/01/2026

“How Do You Spell Belong?”, by Tiffany Hammond is available to preorder right now. It will be released on January 27, 2027! The second in her series of books about AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). This is such an important topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.

I went from being hella excited that my new book went on preorder in April to being cheated on for the nth time in May.

Somehow, I let my grief convince me that my book deserved less celebration.

It doesn't.

I thought the hardest part of releasing my next picture book would be the critics of motor-based communication methods.

Turns out it was figuring out how to talk about a book that includes the man who cheated on me for two decades.

Why am I letting him touch the things that matter most to me?

The things I worked so damn hard for?

Some books change your life while you're writing them.

Other books become complicated after they're finished.

Today I wrote about the unexpected challenge of promoting a book I love while navigating the end of a marriage I should have left years ago.

The book still matters.

My son still matters.

The story still matters.

This isn't a book about Tiffany's son and his father.
This is Tiffany's book about her son.

How Do You Spell Belong? is about communication, friendship, acceptance, and what true belonging looks like for nonspeaking autistic children.

It's a story I'm incredibly proud of.

And I refused to let my heartbreak steal it from me.

This Book Deserves Better Than My Grief is live.
And HDYSB is on preorder y'all.

09/01/2026

Climate justice and disability justice are intertwined-

Caption below in quotes, as well as image descriptions both courtesy of The NAMED Advocates

“It’s been 21 years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall.

So many folks were left behind, especially Black and brown disabled folks.
‌
Decades and many storms later and they’re still forgotten about/an afterthought.
‌
The latest storm in Gary, Indiana has reminded us of that.

Our question to elected officials and one to ask yours: When will disabled people become priority instead of an afterthought?”
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[Image descriptions:

There are 2 slides with a photo in the background and text in front.
‌

Slide 1: There’s a photo of the aftermath of Katrina. The text reads: 21 years after Hurricane Katrina
‌

Slide 2: There’s a photo of a person sitting in a chair, holding their phone. There is storm debris around them.
‌
The text reads: Gary, Indiana has shown that Black and brown disabled people continue to be an afterthought in 🌀 climate crises.]
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JJ

09/01/2026

“Disaster response is disability justice.”

Thanks for this post titled
“Hurricane Katrina Was a Disability Justice Issue”

from New Disabled South.

Image descriptions below are courtesy of NDS

[Image description:

S1- A purple graphic with a black-and-white photo of a wheelchair user facing a long line of people outside the Superdome. Text reads: “Hurricane Katrina Was a Disability Justice Issue.” Below: “21 Years After, Disabled Southerners Are Still Fighting for Disaster Justice.” The New Disabled South logo is in the top right.

S2- The same purple graphic theme with a hurricane image underneath carries across the remaining slides. Text reads: “Katrina Was Only the Beginning.” Below: “On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana. Communities were not only exposed to the devastating impacts of the hurricane, but also to the systemic failures in disaster response that followed, leaving disabled people and other marginalized communities especially vulnerable.” A black-and-white satellite image of Hurricane Katrina is in the bottom right. Photo: NESDIS.NOAA.GOV.

S3- Text reads: “What Hurricane Katrina Exposed.” Below: “The National Council on Disability estimated that around 155,000 disabled people over age 5 lived in Biloxi, Mobile, and New Orleans, the three cities hardest hit by Katrina. That was roughly 25% of their combined population, or about 1 in 4 people.” Additional text reads: “Hurricane Katrina exposed how deeply disaster response systems can fail disabled people. From evacuation to sheltering and recovery, disabled people were left vulnerable not only to the storm, but to systems that failed to plan, protect, and support them.” A black-and-white photo of a damaged building is in the bottom right. Source: NCD.gov.

S4- Text reads: “Katrina Wasn’t the First Disaster Response Failure.” Below: “These disaster response failures didn’t begin with Katrina. Disabled people had already faced major barriers during previous hurricanes, including access to emergency communication.” A quote reads: “All I saw was an elbow.” Below: “Deaf hurricane survivor (said years before Katrina).” Bullets read: “Sign language interpreters and CC were often unavailable, and interpreters were sometimes cut out of the tv frames.” “The Emergency Alert System was never activated during Katrina limiting access to critical emergency information.” Source: NCD.gov.

S5- Text reads: “The Failures Didn’t Stop There.” Below: “Some additional disaster response failures included:” Bullets read: “Inaccessible public transportation.” “Shelters refusing admission or redirecting disabled people to ‘special needs’ shelters.” “Inaccessible shelter services, including medical care, communication, restrooms, food, and transportation.” “Lack of access to wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen, and other essential supports.” A black-and-white photo shows a wheelchair user in front of a line at the Superdome. Source: NCD.gov.

S6- Text reads: “Disaster Response is Disability Justice.” Below: “Disabled people are often among those hit hardest by hurricanes and disasters, not only because of the disaster itself, but because disaster planning and response too often leave disabled people out.” A highlighted question reads: “What does disability justice in disaster response look like?” Bullets read: “Including disabled people from the start of disaster planning.” “Accessible evacuation and transportation.” “Emergency information everyone can access.” “Accessible shelters with medications, equipment, caregivers, and other needed supports.” “Accessible housing and services throughout disaster recovery.”

S7- Text reads: “Building a Safer South.” Below: “While we can prepare for natural disasters, we can’t always predict how severe they will be. Disability justice means planning with disabled people before, during, and after the storm.” Below that: “A safer South means building a disaster response that involves all of us—not some.”

End image description. ]

08/29/2026

Spelling to communicate has been life changing for Gabe and for so many other nonspeaking autistic folks.

Wednesdays are Spelling Days!
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,

I NEED TO GET AN EDUCATION. NOT ONLY DO I DESERVE TO BE GIVEN THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS OTHER STUDENTS, BUT THEN I CAN HAVE A GREATER IMPACT IN MY COMMUNITY.

APRAXIA MEANS I NEED TO CONSISTENTLY PRACTICE MOTOR SKILLS SO I CAN CONTROL MY BODY. THIS DISABILITY NEEDS PROACTIVE STRATEGIES THAT RESPECT MY INTELLIGENCE. FOR EXAMPLE, MY LIFE WOULD DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE IF I CAN CONTROL MY FOOD IMPULSES WHICH NEEDS TRAINED, INDIVIDUALIZED AND CONSISTENT INTERVENTION. WITHOUT THESE SUPPORTS MY BODY CONTINUES MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIORS WHICH INCREASES MY SHAME AND ANXIETY WHILE DECREASING MY ACCESS TO MY COMMUNITY.

BEING IN ACADEMIC CLASSES AND ABLE TO COMMUNICATE MEANS I CAN DEVELOP MY COGNITIVE SKILLS, BUT THAT REQUIRES DEDICATED AND TRAINED SUPPORT.
I WANT TO WORK ON MY ABILITY TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN MY COMMUNITY WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT WHICH ALSO REQUIRES INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT. WITH THESE EXTRA RESOURCES AT THE PRIVATE SCHOOL I WAS ACCEPTED TO I CAN LEARN SKILLS THAT INCREASE MY INDEPENDENCE AND EVENTUALLY DECREASE MY RELIANCE ON SPECIALIZED AND CONSTANT SUPPORT. WE HAVE THE SAME GOALS, BUT I CLEARLY NEED A DIFFERENT SETTING.

I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT IN MY FUTURE.

GABE