As Gareth already knows, I have signed this petition and I hope that it makes great impact. I very much doubt that it will however.
A couple of years ago I wrote to a number of people saying that people who have connections with autism or with Asperger Syndrome deserve better rights in society than normal people. Thankfully the issues I raised have been represented in this website as well as the dating website but I feel that a lot more needs to be done. The dating side of things are well represented here with the Aspie Friends website or whatever it's called. Every time I hear that dating services cost £1.20 a minute to use I feel like smashing my telephone to bits in disgust when this happens. I don't condone robbery, whether it is by telephone or otherwise.
You maybe intrested and surprised to know that I happen to be the author of the letter that was cut and paste half way down a page from this forum a couple of years ago and you can see it half way down the page here.
http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthre...847&page=3
I was so annoyed and disgusted with the way that disabled people are treated that I either would write the letter and send it to people connected with Asperger Syndrome and autism, or bang my head severly against a brick wall. I did the former, fortunately and got just over a dozen replies, about a quarter of those I have sent out. I believe that I have had contact with the person who relayed it onto the forum in the past.
I sent the replies to the National Autistic Society (wrote to Vernon Beauchamp, the Chief Executive as I thought that would make more impact) and guess what? Never heard from them since on the matter.
However I hope that Gareth's petition makes great impact.
A couple of years ago I wrote to a number of people saying that people who have connections with autism or with Asperger Syndrome deserve better rights in society than normal people.
I do not agree here. Though it would be nice to have special privileges, we are seeking equal rights. Do not fall into the supremacy trap. Privileges should be granted based on merits of individuals, not their neurotype (regardless of whether someone's neurotype may make them more likely to have skills in a particular area such as computing or other stereotypical AS interests).
We need 100 signatures to get an official response to this petiton, all we need is to get declared to have the same protections under law as other minority groups do. Once it becomes illegal to discriminate against someone based purely on autism/AS the same as it is to discriminate against someone based purely on skin colour, religion, gender or sexuality we will have won a large part of the battle. However, that day will never come if we alienate people seeking extra privileges.
People often mistake AFF's views as being elitist - please do not encourage this myth.
. Hopefully the "official response" won't be some pre-written letter.