Catalogue Number
NMLH.2024.75.3
Object Name
poster
Title
'Autism acceptance. We are people not puzzles.'
Place
Manchester
People
Autistic Pride Manchester, Autism Speaks
Description
A green hand-drawn paper poster. At the top is blue text saying 'Autism awareness' with awareness crossed out and acceptance written beneath in red and underlined. There is a blue puzzle piece in the centre of the poster, with a red struck-thru circle over it. Beneath the crossed out puzzle piece is the text 'We are people not puzzles'.
The autism puzzle piece symbol typically used by autism charities which are not led by autistic people. It is criticised by some autistic people who view the puzzle piece as having negative connotations suggesting that autistic people are misfits, or puzzles to be figured out. The blue puzzle piece is particularly associated with the American charity Autism Speaks, which campaigns to find so-called 'cures' for autism - which autistic activists oppose and view as a eugenicist practice, arguing that instead of awareness and cures, more effort should be made to provide support for autistic people without attempting to alter neurodivergent behaviour to match neurotypical (non-autistic) ways of being.
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