Osorio #Actually Autistic

This week’s reading was on the autist-topoi of the #ActuallyAutistic tag on twitter. A topoi as described by Osorio is a node for connecting lines of argument that grow from common understandings and values, particularly that of the autistic community on twitter. I had never heard of this term before this reading, but I think it can be helpful for establishing and identifying arguments, just as Osorio did. By calling attention to the flaws of Autism Speaks, instructing allies, and emphasizing personal experience, autistic activists are changing the narrative of how autistic people are perceived and how things need to change. Breaking down the topoi in to the 3 categories allows us to see how the activists arguments are structured and what goals the set out to achieve, which is ultimately de stigmatizing autism.

This connects to the activist movement that I’ve chosen, the disability rights movement. While autism and disabilities mirror each other, both are the subject of ableism, and people unfortunately have to deal with this their whole lives. Calling out ableism is a goal of the disability rights movement as well, and a major contributor to how society treats disabled people. Something notable about ableism is that it assumes disabilities and autism are inherently lesser and not normal, which the autist-topoi tries to fight; that it’s not a bad thing to be autistic or disabled, it just is.