Summarizing Kurchak’s article, “Autistic people are not tragedies. My life has value and joy.”
Sarah Kurchak’s article, “Autistic people are not tragedies. My life has value and joy” shows how most autism awareness groups present misleading information regarding the condition and effective assistance that these groups require. As a person living with autism for over five years, Kurchak details how hurting it is for persons living with autism to be referred to as tragedies to their loved ones. She opposes these influential charities for autism which do not have any autistic member on board for their views on how autistic patients leave their family members emotionally, physically as well as mentally anguished (Kurchak). These fear-mongering views and messages surrounding autistic persons prioritize the feelings of non-autistic persons locking out the autistic person’s opinions surrounding the condition and its solutions.
According to Kurchak, such views have a negative impact on the public policies that are put in place to find a solution for autistic persons. Presenting autism as an explicitly tragic curse that needs to be eradicated promotes large amounts of funds and resources being directed towards charities whose sole aim is finding a cure to the condition (Kurchak). Kurchak finds such an approach to be unethical since it shifts focus from improving the lives of autistic patients and their caregivers, directing it towards hunting down these patients like “bogeymen” and eliminating them (Kurchak). With resources being stringent and the little knowledge of autism that is currently available, misleading, and inaccurate public policies from these views only hurt the progress of finding the right solution.
These presentations are depicting autism as a curse cloud, the more realistic discussions held by actual autistic persons towards making their lives better. Online social trends and movements, as well as other organizations started by persons living with autism, show that Kurchak and other autistic individuals like her are not for a cure for the condition as they do not view autism as a curse requiring elimination. Rather, they wish for the public to accept autism and want everyone to understand all persons within the spectrum has value (Kurchak). Autistic persons want the voice of everybody to be considered, including written, assisted, and verbal. Kurchak claims with such an approach that is inclusive of the opinions of persons with autism, discussions regarding the right treatments and therapies for autistic persons as well the ones that are destructive will be effectively held. In addition, a safe environment for autistic children will be achieved, eradicating the constant risk of the vicious punishment they go through due to the public misunderstanding and fears surrounding autistic persons. This will be a relief, especially for autistic children of color who are vulnerable to both racism and ableism.
Kurchak concludes by stating a sincere awareness of persons living with autism, including their lives, needs, and values, will significantly contribute towards improving individuals’ lives both on and off the spectrum. All autistic people wish for is others to cease sharing misleading information regarding autism awareness and listen to them more, which will, in turn, lead to better gains for all in society.
Works Cited
Kurchak, Sarah. Autistic people are not tragedies. My life has value and joy. 30 April 2015.