Aspies For Freedom

Hello again from Melbourne, Australia.

My greetings to you all on this very special day for all peoples of the autism/AS spectrum. I hope you are all enjoying this historic International Autistic Pride Day.

With so much bias towards the "autism-research"/"cure-and-control" crowd in much of our mass media at the moment, I often wondered how we could all help change all that and tip the tables over in OUR favour so that the broader society could get a better and more positive perception of the real autistic/AS society from us, the real autistic/AS society itself - not the "autism-researchers" and "therapists" among those NTs who think they know better concerning our on-going needs but, in reality, they don't).

So, as my creative contribution to this year's Autistic Pride Day, I came up with this great suggestion for a future autistic/AS community-based global free-to-air satellite television network which seeks to mobilise and empower the real autistic/AS global society mentally, physically, creatively and socially; and to dispel the false propagandistic myths of the personal agenda-motivated "autism-research" movement about autism/AS being a "curable" brain disease/comprehension disorder.

a) Socially, by bringing people with autism/AS and their supportive non-autistic friends and family in the autism rights movement together socially with such autism-friendly and family-friendly programs and features as:

- speeches
- testimonies
- musical variety and talent showcase programs
- music videos
- classic family sitcoms and dramas
- documentaries
- talk shows
- autism-friendly children's programming (in a regular three- to four-hour daily afternoon strand)

b) mentally and physically, with programs offering peace of mind, such as:

- healthful autism-friendly cooking programs (with an emphasis on vegetarian and other natural low cholesterol cookery)
- life education clinics (including programs aimed at increasing awareness about the dangers of certain drugs/medications and the impact these substances can have on autistics/Aspies, as well as encouraging tobacco/alcohol addicts to give up smoking and excess drinking)
- diet and exercise programs
- health lectures
- music therapy sessions
- abuse recovery programs (especially programs that deal with the effects of school/street bullying and the excesses of ABA on people of the autism spectrum)

c) creatively, with programs offering pleasurable talent development for autistics/Aspies, such as:

- creative skills workshops (in various forms of arts and crafts)
- fashion and beauty tips programs aimed at women and girls
- residential makeover and gardening programs
- autism-friendly music lessons in guitar, bass guitar, drums and keyboards, with host-duos consisting of one male and one female music teacher-host for each of these instruments taught, thus adding more balanced and personal human warmth to these individual instrument lesson-shows in a way that makes learning these four instruments extremely fun, pleasurable and enjoyable for both autistic/Aspie girls and boys alike

The channel would also carry regular special autism/AS-related events, including weekly live broadcasts featuring special guests (from live performers to important autism-rights campaign figures), on-location autistic pride festivities, holiday specials, and autism rights advocacy seminars.

This new channel would have a "down-home" (as in down-to-earth) approach in its presentation and programming, without all the same unnecessary excesses of marketing we now see common-place on so many other television networks these days. The channel would also have a policy of not being involved in, supporting, or benefiting from any large corporately-backed fundraising efforts or telethons aimed at aiding and/or abetting the so-called "autism-research"/"cure-and-control" crowd.

Yes, it should be time for us, the real autistic/AS global society to have such a new television station to serve us and our own meaningful interests.

HAPPY AUTISTIC PRIDE DAY!!!!

Lots of Love and Cheers,
Steven Wood.

Autismbass wrote

Of all the aspies who I know none of them have drug or alcohol problems (but they often have drunks for spouses), and none of them bar one smoke. Are these issues a problem for the aspies who you know?

Even as a teenager I would have had zero interest in this. I get the general impression that aspies generally care little for fashion or make-up, even female aspies. You might not like it, but I think that's the way things are.

Hi autismbass, funnily enough, we have discussed this idea in the chatroom once. We previously had ideas for an autism online radio station.
It hasn't got off the ground yet.
I don't know how a tv station really works, but I wonder if this idea combined with the docu/video idea would work?
We could start with video submissions, presented on a site, that people can download, and if it was working, it could move on.

Again, we could discuss it at the next meeting as a group. It will be on the first wednesday in July in the chatroom.

Steven,  A website could be used to display images and videos to achieve almost everything that you've suggested.  I think it would be expensive though, unless paid for through some sort of grant or donations.  There are a few models for promoting emerging cultures on the internet.  I would be willing to donate time or whatever I could to helping out with such a project.  I like the idea of promoting Autistic culture through the means you've suggested.

Amanda

Wasn't TechTV ours?  :shock:

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: