Last Day to Vote, the Big Push!!

from the email sent out by AWN
I was notified only moments ago that approximately 150 contestants in the Pepsi Refresh Contest have banned together & decided to make a last minute run for a spot as a finalist in the Top 100 so they can be carried over to next month's Pepsi Grant Contest. This means that 150 people have formed an alliance ...to get into the Top 100 and boot Autism Women's Network along with other Top 100 contestants OUT!!!


Please VOTE now if you haven't cast your daily vote today!! This contest is not over until midnight!!


I am asking that all of our supporters tweet, facebook and network everywhere throughout the afternoon & tonight - requesting our friends, and followers to cast their final August VOTE for us now. If not, AWN can very easily find ourselves out of the TOP 100 by midnight. We already dropped to #67 in the past 30 minutes!

http://www.refresheverything.com/awn

(disclaimer: Corina is Director of Networking for the Autism Women's Network)

Puzzle-less Autism Awareness Ribbons

For the longest time, I've been bothered about the autism awareness ribbons and other products displaying puzzle pieces. As a lot of autistics say when we object to it, we are not puzzle, we are people. So, since I've been aware of why it is offensive, I've been avoiding using it for any autism-related images.

Except my Anti-puzzle graphics for protesting Autism Speaks and other organizations.

However, I wanted an autism awareness ribbon that anti-puzzle autistics and other community members could display and use. So I made one, using the concept of my Neurodiversity infinity mobius and the spectrum part of Autism Spectrum.

[Edit April 2, 2013]

!!!!!!!STOP AND READ BEFORE YOU USE!!!!!!!

PLEASE READ THE CONTENTS OF THIS BLOG BEFORE YOU USE!!!

I am neurodiversity/Autism rights advocate; I do not support Autism Speaks, Age of Autism or any theories regarding Autism that is not based on science-based research.

Anything regarding cause and vaccines, toxins, chelation, HBOT, etc, is NOT SUPPORTED ON THIS BLOG AND THEREFORE, NOT GIVEN PERMISSION TO USE MY IMAGES, INCLUDING MY RIBBONS

If you use my ribbons and images, please credit them to me.  Failure to do so, and failure to support autistic-perspectives and rights with how you use my images will result in my retracting permission to use all of my images, including my autism awareness ribbons.  

Automatically, if you support Autism Speaks, you do not have permission to use my images. 

This images are for Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Neurodiversity.  If you are confused whether the way you will use them fits this, please READ THE CONTENTS OF THIS BLOG BEFORE USING!!!!!

Thank You [/edit]

Actually, I made two, and I've uploaded them so that people may use them freely. Also, I've made some shirts, car stickers and other products using the design, available on my zazzle store. (all proceeds goes towards my tuition fund; I'm applying to the Disability Studies program at Ryerson University, and it kinda costs a lot for someone on social assistance). The textless are below.

Lauren's Hope Review

For quite a while, I had been wanting to get a medical ID bracelet.  An Autism card is good for events where, having trouble communicating, a person can slip out a card and hand it out.  For other situations, when I'm possibly unconscious, I want something on me all the time that's noticeable to paramedics.  Especially when I consider the medical issues I have and medications I'm on.

I've looked at medical ID bracelet companies, including the ones with the yearly subscription so that you practically have your medical history a phone call away.  I've looked at some rather fancy bracelets, some completely plain and utilitarian bracelets, and they were all either too much money or not what I wanted to wear on my wrist every single day.

But then I came across Lauren's Hope  and was genuinely surprised.  The bracelets are a bit expensive, especially for someone with limited funds, but are elegant and beautiful. They are designed so that you only need one tag that you can remove and use with many different bands.  Yes, space is limited on the tag, and you'd have to replace it every time that your medications get changed, but it's a lot cheaper than subscribing to a medic-alert type service.

I love my Lauren's Hope medical ID bracelet, and I hardly ever take it off.  So I highly recommend it; at least take a look, you might find something that catches your eye!

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Pepsi Refresh and The Larger Difference

It sometimes takes small steps in order to make a larger difference in the world. Small events, such as a stone falling into water, can create larger reactions that ripple outward to have a larger effect, either in the community, or even the entire world. Thus, we are never able to completely disregard even the smallest action.

In this case, I think that this is a recognizable starting point for a greater change. What am I talking about? Well, Pepsi Co is engaged in a wide-scale promotional campaign called Pepsi Refresh Project, that is this humongous contest to do two things: one, to brainstorm ideas to aid the Gulf Coast oil spill, and two, to provide various grants to the top ten voted individual, businesses and non-profit organizations, per category.

Among the contenders this month, the Autism Women's Network takes its first greater steps towards making a larger impact and being recognized as a non-profit organization. As part of its mission to provide support to previously under served autistic females, AWN is competing with 1234 other competitors for a $50,000 grant. With the grant, the AWN plans to run Project FAIM (Female Autistic Insight Mentoring) workshops, pay for legal fees to gain non-profit status, and pay for maintenance costs for the website and online supports.

Most of the grant will be to run Project FAIM, which includes costs for materials, transportation, and rent space. The workshops will be held in five locations across the US, and will focus on qualities that appear to be specific to autistic females. They will cover topics such as peer supports, relationships, vulnerabilities and successful communications, and will include active supports and information for autistics, parents and educators. At each location, renown autistic women will be on hand to provide insight and mentoring, making sure that each person will gain supports available.

This is one step towards a bigger change in how autistic females are supported and served in our communities and society. Recognized now as one of the most under supported population in the autism community, there needs to be a change in how we think about autism, especially in how it autism is understood and recognized. As part of its long-term goals, the Autism Women's Network seeks to make these changes, and so, in my opinion, this is a worthwhile cause to support.

So if you please, vote with me daily to get the AWN in the top ten of its category.

(Disclosure: Corina Becker serves on the board of the Autism Women's Network)