Community-Informed Policy Briefs

Since 2022, our Policy and Advocacy team has worked to research and highlight issues named by our community members as critically important and urgent areas for transformation.

You can read all of our policy briefs here:

Policy Priorities

Last updated August 2022 by Tony Alexander and Finn Gardiner

Policy Overview

Our society is rooted in ableism, classism, heterosexism and sexism, and racism. For those of us experiencing overlapping systems of oppression (e.g., those who are autistic and negatively racialized), we spend our daily lives navigating institutional barriers and interpersonal relationships that largely either overlook our vulnerabilities and needs, or worse, actively and violently work to harm our health and well-being.

The Autistic People of Color Fund was established primarily to practice redistributive justice and mutual aid by/for/among autistic people of color. However, we recognize that our intersectional identities and the lived experiences and challenges that we face as a consequence of those identities, are inherently political and that our struggles go beyond individual and interpersonal issues. As such, our work is grounded in a whole-hearted commitment to advocating for policy initiatives and programs that will improve the lives and livelihood of autistic people of color through systemic, political, and cultural change.

At the Fund, we engage in policy advocacy through various means, including

  • Involvement with disability rights and disability justice coalitions and projects that are led by and center disabled people, including autistic and other disabled people of color
  • Engagement at all levels of government via interactions with political leaders and public comment-making processes
  • Grassroots organizing efforts

Policy Priorities at a Glance

Affordable and Adequate Healthcare

The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet, millions of people in the U.S. struggle to access services and much-needed medicine. The rising cost of healthcare, however, is not limited to the U.S. A growing number of countries are spending more and more money on healthcare as their citizens are increasingly spending more on out-of-pocket expenses. Globally, far too many people face difficulties accessing much needed healthcare services and medicine.

Given that many autistic people use life-sustaining medications and depend on disability-specific services and supports, this increased cost of medical care hits our community especially hard. Long-standing medical racism and eugenicist practices and policies have only exacerbated and compounded these problems for autistic people of color.

The Fund remains committed to the welfare of autistic people of color and aims to ensure that all autistic people of color are treated equitably and justly. Consequently, the Fund calls for free or affordable autism diagnosis tests for every adult and child as well as overall healthcare services that are either free or affordable (particularly for those who are low-income, no income, or unhoused). Ultimately, the Fund seeks an end to the economic model that results in exorbitant pricing of prescription drugs that are essential for people. The Fund also calls for more expansive and inclusive services including, but not limited to: a right to dental care included with every insurance plan; a right to affirming services and surgeries for LGBTQIA people; and a guaranteed right to mental health therapy for all.

Furthermore, the Fund calls for expansive and inclusive LGBTQIA healthcare services, including a right to affirming services and surgeries for trans, intersex, and nonbinary people. Finally, recognizing that gender-based and domestic violence are currently a global public health epidemic (and that many autistic people are victims of abuse), the Fund calls for more financial and other support resources—from all levels of government—to be directed to victims of abuse and organizations that support victims (particularly organizations that support autistic victims and victims of color).

Food Security

In 2019, an estimated two billion people lacked frequent access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food. The Coronavirus pandemic exacerbated an already dire situation, with nearly 320 million more people becoming food insecure in 2020 alone (the first year of the pandemic). The Fund recognizes that disabled people and people of color are disparately impacted by societal and economic destabilization and supports policies, programs and institutional structures that will strengthen those who are most susceptible to hardship, including food insecurity. The Fund advocates for a right to access affordable, healthy foods. Food is the one connector for humankind—and we all need food in order to live and flourish. No one should go hungry due to high costs of food or limited access to grocery stores or markets.

Job Security

Many autistic people and POC struggle to obtain and maintain well-paying and supportive jobs. The Fund promotes expansive career opportunities for autistic POC, including policies and support systems to help fellow autistic POC grow their professional networks. Moreover, the Fund supports a right to livable wages for all disabled persons, adequate vacation time, reasonable work hours, and virtual or hybrid accessible work schedules (when feasible) so as to prevent burnout and other mental health issues. 

Housing Security

Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, housing costs were already rising at much faster rates than income growth, leaving many Americans unable to afford housing. The pandemic has only worsened housing instability, particularly for people of color and for disabled people. The Fund supports: the elimination of rising mortgage and rental costs; more robust plans at all levels of government to build and maintain quality, affordable, and physically accessible housing; and financial assistance and other resources to assist homeowners and renters with utilities and housing repairs.

Quality Education

Education has long been viewed as a key to opportunity, success and freedom. As an organization dedicated to empowering autistic POC, we support policies and programs that will create greater access to free or affordable quality education for autistic POC and other disabled POC.

General Accessibility

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) into law. Unfortunately, three decades later, many people in the U.S. remain unable to travel short or long distances because of unsafe and extremely unfeasible accessibility and transportation situations. The Fund encourages expansive physical accessibility and transportation services and benefits—public and private—for disabled people and demands that disabled people not be treated as a burden or undeserving of access and accommodations.