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Ray Hemachandra at Golden Moon Circles

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Community Inclusion and IDD: Prioritizing and Empowering Choice for the Disabled

Should policy-directed “best outcomes” from government officials and advocacy groups reduce, rather than enhance, choice for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)—and sometimes trap them in unsafe, hostile environments?

autism, developmental disability, disability, disability rights, disabled, featured, IDD, inclusion, integration, intellectual disability
Nicholas Hemachandra on a mountaintop wearing a shirt that says, "If you can be anything, be inclusive."

Autistic Isolation, Connection, and Joy: Never Miss Dessert

Autistic adults, like adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities more generally, are not often seen as agents of love, joy, connection, relationship, and meaning for others. That’s because they’re not often seen at all.

autism, autism acceptance, autism acceptance month, autism adulthood, autism awaremess, world autism day

Poem: My Father’s Hands, in memoriam

A new poem: “My Father’s Hands, in memoriam”

father, fatherhood, poem, poems, poet, poetry

Working for Just Community: Now, Then, Always

Going through an old box yesterday, I came upon a yellowed, frayed 9.5-by-12-inch certificate issued in 1950 to my grandmother,…

black history month, communication, discrimination, racial discrimination, social justice, social justice work

The Value of Disabled Lives and Organs

Why might an autistic, intellectually disabled Black boy with Down syndrome be so much more valuable in death than in life? Because his parents made him an organ donor.

autism, autism acceptance, disability, disability rights, down syndrome, intellectual disability

A Conversation Between My Mother and Me

My mother had 13 years from the time the youngest of her three sons—that would be me—went off to college…

biography, connection, loneliness, memoir, personal story, story

An Announcement, a Benefit, and a Giveaway

I am pleased and genuinely honored to announce that I am joining the board of directors of the Center for…

Autism Acceptance—and Celebration

Autism is still largely an unknown, even among generally well-educated people. Autism awareness and education still matter a lot, and they are prerequisites for acceptance. Autism awareness and autism acceptance are both essential.

autism, autism acceptance, autism acceptance month, autism advocacy, autism awareness, world autism day

Intellectually Disabled Adults and COVID Vaccine Prioritization

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at greater risk—three times greater than the general population—of COVID-19 complications and/or death.…

COVID, intellectual disability, vaccination

Are Autistic and Intellectually Disabled People Worthwhile Community Members—or Aren’t They?

I have been reading the proposed changes to North Carolina’s Innovations waiver services and supports, which are designed for individuals…

autism, community, disability, inclusion, intellectual disability

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Little forest stroll on Sunday
All the fungus, all the feels
When the light hits just right—in Pisgah National Forest today.
Profile of my son Nicholas, 21 and turning 22 next month, a joy the whole way through, in north Asheville NC today
It looked to me like a French impressionist painting … or a jigsaw puzzle.
Gardening season
The Macon Reed @macon_reed_studio installation “Hello Death, Where Have You Been All My Life?” opened this weekend and runs through Sept. 16 at the Center for Craft @centerforcraft at 67 Broadway in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Macon Reed is a New Orleans-based artist, and NOLA cultural inflections about death and dying and our rituals around them color—literally and figuratively—the evocative, fabulous show. If you live in western North Carolina or are visiting, don’t miss it.
Just prettiness
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