A4A Ontario
Re: Canada’s autistic-led groups are not being consulted on autism policyDear Minister Qualtrough:I am writing to express my concern about the fact that Canada’s autistic-led advocacy groups have not been consulted in any way on federal autism policy.Canada’s autistic-led advocacy groups are Autistics United and Autistics for Autistics (A4A). Both have chapters nationwide which run activities for autistic people across a range of support needs. They also consult on policy; most recently with the United Nations on health care access and with the Ontario government on autism policy. They work and present with community partners such as The Centre for Independent Living, Arch Disability Law, the University of Toronto, and LiveWorkPlay (Ottawa). They are active as international affiliates of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, the largest autistic organization in the world. They have been featured in the Globe and Mail, the National Post and many other Canadian publications. Most recently, this April 30, a member of A4A’s executive board had an OpEd published in the New York Times. Yet these groups have never been consulted by your government on autism policy. Please help to fix this inequity.Canada’s outdated approach to autism policy desperately needs reform. Autistic people’s lives depend on it. The suicide rate for autistic people is 12 times the rate of non-autistic people, largely because autistic Canadians live in poverty and face stigma and access barriers to employment, as well as endemic segregation in school and housing. The government of Canada needs to engage new policies, ideas and service providers if we are ever to see a positive change. For example, more than 80% of federal housing dollars for autistic and intellectually disabled Canadians is still earmarked for segregated housing, despite research showing that integrated housing leads to better life outcomes. The government’s current approach—create a committee to develop a discussion to build a “national strategy”—wastes time, money and energy. It will never work because it is not truly engaging the disabled groups it claims to serve.Autistics United and A4A advocate a plan that integrates autistic people into existing disability policies—something that can help millions of autistic Canadians quickly and effectively. They have written specific policy recommendations based on best practices and consultation with experts in education, housing, employment and disability access. Autistic self-advocacy groups are integral to sustainable autism policy and should be front and centre in discussions about it.Please contact me to discuss this at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your attention to this matter.Sincerely, ................
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