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KenG
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18 Sep 2012, 10:40 am

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Save the Date!

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network's
Annual Gala!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Join us for a special celebration and fundraising event at
The National Press Club in Washington, DC

Dinner and dessert will be served and a reception will precede dinner.

Keynote speaker: Kathy Greenlee
Assistant Secretary for Aging and
Administrator of the new Administration on Community Living

Proceeds will support our advocacy work and programs for the coming year, and will allow us to continue working to empower disabled people across the country.

This is a sensory-friendly event. Please, no scented lotions, perfumes, or fragrances.

Register Now:
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/ ... 5a55fd63e9


_________________
AUsome Conference -- Autistic-run conference in Ireland
https://konfidentkidz.ie/seo/autism-tra ... onference/
AUTSCAPE -- Autistic-run conference and retreat in the UK
http://www.autscape.org/


KenG
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09 Oct 2012, 1:38 pm

Proceeds will support our advocacy work and programs for the coming year, and will allow us to continue working to empower disabled people across the country.

Register Now:
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/ ... 5a55fd63e9


_________________
AUsome Conference -- Autistic-run conference in Ireland
https://konfidentkidz.ie/seo/autism-tra ... onference/
AUTSCAPE -- Autistic-run conference and retreat in the UK
http://www.autscape.org/


KenG
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08 Nov 2012, 6:02 pm

Last Day to Register is Tomorrow, 11/9, for the ASAN Annual Gala!


_________________
AUsome Conference -- Autistic-run conference in Ireland
https://konfidentkidz.ie/seo/autism-tra ... onference/
AUTSCAPE -- Autistic-run conference and retreat in the UK
http://www.autscape.org/


btbnnyr
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11 Nov 2012, 1:50 pm

I wanted to join ASAN to see if I could help in some way, but I don't want to pay $35 for the autistic membership. I had thought that it was free like GRASP. It's kind of sad that there is a barrier to autistic people joining ASAN. Many autistic people don't have employment or income, and they either don't have the money or don't want to get it from others for something that is not a necessity.



aghogday
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11 Nov 2012, 6:31 pm

http://autisticadvocacy.org/get-involve ... new-member

"Nothing about us without us unless you don't have $35".

Not exactly true, as in the link above the organization does offer "scholarship" memberships for those of the "low income" element. One can apply for it like a scholarship for school in the link above. The irony of this in looking out for the self-esteem of those on the spectrum is interesting

It reminds me of the phone calls I get for becoming a member of the volunteers that support law enforcement with bronze $15 memberships, silver $25 memberships, and $50 gold memberships. In return you get a bumper sticker to put on your car as a proud member of the organization. In the case of ASAN you get an electronic newsletter 6 times a year.

The membership ploy, is basically a forced method of contributing a donation if one wants to become a member, that actually works pretty good, as long as the target audience has extra pocket change lying around, that they don't really need. Unfortunately this is one of the most disadvantaged target audiences, to employ this forced type of contribution or chance at a scholarship to become a lucky member.

The gala event is an excellent opportunity for a fundraising effort, but it is kind of sad that a person on the spectrum most of whom don't have an extra $75, that are not of that higher income element, could not possibly afford to attend that event.

Considering a table reserved for 6 people costs $1500, which will gather some well-heeled supporters, off the spectrum, in the DC element, maybe that will change one day, where one can just sign in for a membership to get the electronic email newsletter 6 times a year that costs no more than the design of a bi-monthly flyer, and a computer with email access.

Requiring a person with what is defined as a disability to pay for a forced membership dollar amount contribution to become part of a volunteer effort that supports them or making them go through a process to apply for the lucky opportunity for a scholarship membership to join in on the effort, is not empowering disabled people. It turns potentially valuable members away, plain and simple, as evidenced above.

It would likely be hard to provide that input to ASAN, unless they read it here, as they do not appear to have the staffing to return emails for constructive input directly from their website, and instead of taking the effort to respond to constructive input on their facebook page, have simply deleted it in the past, as well as blocked potential contributing members, that do have the money to contribute, that are concerned about others.

ASAN, if you are out there somewhere, please listen, people on the spectrum without the same potential to pay the $35, are communicating, and some really do not want to ask someone else for money to join in on the volunteer effort. If you can find a way to raise more money, and let these folks be part of the volunteer effort without facing a barrier of a fee or having to ask someone else or make their financial difficulties known, to be part of that effort, it will be worth the ASAN organization's total volunteer efforts in the long run, as there will not be that same potential "without us".

Just to make it clear, this intended constructive input, is not directed at KenG, he lives in Israel, and is not in charge of ASAN decisions, in the US. ASAN does provide a number of valuable opportunities, specifically directed at college students/graduates on the spectrum. If it was not for KenG's volunteer efforts at getting the word out to people who have no idea what ASAN is, or have been turned off by the $35 fee for membership, that may have visited their website, they would not be provided knowledge of those opportunities.

Edit, 11/15: It appears like someone is listening as the ASAN organization linked an application for volunteering on their facebook page, today. The application has a yes or no checkbox whether a person is a member, so it may be possible that one can successfully enter into a volunteer relationship with the organization, without paying to become a member. That would need to be clarified by the organization, if someone still listening from the organization would like to clarify that somewhere, where people can clearly understand whether there is a requirement for membership, to volunteer, before going to the trouble to fill out an application to volunteer.

Link to the volunteer application:

http://autisticadvocacy.org/get-involved/volunteers