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ASAN January Newsletter
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Dear friend,
2026 has already brought a mix of joy and grief. While we plan for the year ahead, we also mourn and fight. Our community and so many others continue to face violence and hate. We continue to fight, together, for a better world for all autistic people.
This month, we continued our work fostering the next generation of autistic self-advocates. Applications opened for our 2026 Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) Leadership Academy [autisticadvocacy.org/aci]! ACI is a virtual weeklong leadership program for autistic college students. Students learn about starting and running groups, understanding disability policy, and talking to people in power. ACI 2026 will take place virtually from July 13-19, 2026. All autistic college students with at least one year remaining before graduation are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by Sunday, March 8, 2026 — learn more and start your application here [autisticadvocacy.org/aci]!
We also announce the release of an autistic Barbie [autisticadvocacy.org/2026/01/asan-announces-autistic-barbie/] this month! This doll is a project made along with Mattel. We hope she shows all kids that autistic people are a valuable part of our communities. During our meetings with Mattel, we talked about how there are many ways that autistic people express ourselves — autism doesn’t have just one look. While one doll won’t be able to represent every way an autistic person can be, we wanted to share some of them! We think it’s especially important for kids to see some of themselves in these dolls. Some of the things we thought about were articulated wrists for flapping hands, robust augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), noise cancelling headphones, and Barbie not making eye contact. Autistic women and autistics of color are under diagnosed, so we made this doll a part of both of those communities too.
We also began our call for Disability Day of Mourning vigil coordinators [docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2wXBATDAcjo54gPOjoWFLHuHijDZxdkje31VVUwXDwX2HLQ/viewform]. On Sunday, March 1st, the disability community will gather across the nation to remember these disabled victims of filicide – disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers. In January 2026, we released our updated Anti-Filicide Toolkit [autisticadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ASAN-Anti-Filicide-Toolkit-Complete.pdf] resource. This toolkit is intended to provide advocates and allies with concrete tools and resources to use in their own communities, including in response to local incidents. The toolkit [autisticadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ASAN-Anti-Filicide-Toolkit-Complete.pdf] includes information about how to understand and respond to filicide, frequently asked questions about filicide, and a guidebook for Day of Mourning [autisticadvocacy.org/projects/community/mourning/] vigil site coordinators. You can sign up to be a Day of Mourning Vigil Site Coordinator here [docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2wXBATDAcjo54gPOjoWFLHuHijDZxdkje31VVUwXDwX2HLQ/viewform]. We will be hosting our Virtual Vigil on Saturday, March 1st – and we hope to see you there if you cannot host or attend a vigil in your area.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates without accountability. Handing it more funding is a blank check to continue the disastrous and deadly actions we've seen in Minnesota, including reported violence against people with disabilities. Join us in telling the Senate to hold the line: no more tax dollars for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)! You can use this tool [act.nilc.org/page/93101/-/1?fbclid=IwY2xjawPlsdNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFPZVFJM01rMHJvOEU1MDltc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsDCnp1lrnLM-DSHNin7chHV9VC-sMS9gsck4AchBCEbRdVXPPUQ4074P5kL_aem_iy9NhmafZdNoXCysjBXP6g] from the National Immigration Law Center to contact your Senators.
This month we were honored to share a blog post from HEARD [www.behearddc.org/]. HEARD is an abolitionist organization of deaf and disabled people that advocates with and for deaf/disabled people impacted by carceral violence. For this post, we interviewed a graduate from HEARD’s Public Education Team(PET) to share his story. HEARD’s PET is a group of formerly incarcerated disabled/deaf people, and their loved ones, who are impacted by prison and policing systems. You can learn more about HEARD’s work, find resources, and get additional information here [www.behearddc.org/]. You can read “Deaf in Prison: An Interview with HEARD Advocate and HEARD's Public Education (PET) Graduate” here [autisticadvocacy.org/2026/01/deaf-in-prison-an-interview-with-heard-advocate-and-heards-public-education-pet-graduate/].
As we move through this month, we recognize and honor the holidays, celebrations, and important events that hold meaning for our community and beyond.
* Asarah B'Tevet
* Epiphany
* Kwanzaa
January has been a difficult start to the year, but we are grateful for the opportunities to support our community. We will keep pushing for more resources and opportunities to make sure our community has what we need to keep each other safe and push forward. We’ve begun to work on programming to empower the next generation of autistic leaders and honor those we’ve lost, but this is only the start. We hope, with the hard work we do together, this year can bring meaningful change.
With warm wishes,
The Team at ASAN
* ASAN endorsed the Childhood Disability Benefits Fairness Act, which is about determining Medicaid eligibility.
* We endorsed the reintroduction of the Respond, Innovate, Support, and Empower (RISE) Act [www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3939], which is about disability accommodations in higher education.
* ASAN signed onto a letter [downloads.aap.org/DOFA/Childhood%20Vaccine%20Schedule%20Joint%20Letter%20Final.pdf] from the American Academy Of Pediatrics about the changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.
* We signed onto a letter [nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Coalition-Comment-on-Gender-Dysphoria-Under-Section-504-NPRM.pdf] from the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) opposing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed rule “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance. [www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/19/2025-23484/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-in-programs-or-activities-receiving-federal-financial]” The proposed rule would weaken nondiscrimination protections for people with gender dysphoria.
* ASAN also submitted our own comments [autisticadvocacy.org/2026/01/asan-comments-opposing-hhs-proposed-rule-undermining-gender-dysphoria-protections/] opposing the proposed rule.
* As a part of the Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination (CPSD), we signed onto a letter urging Senator Cassidy to conduct an oversight hearing about what is happening to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).
* ASAN endorsed the Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act.
* We signed onto a letter [nwlc.org/resource/sign-on-letter-opposing-rescission-of-eeocs-harassment-guidance/] from NWLC opposing the rescission of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace.
* ASAN signed onto a letter opposing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)’ interim final rule, “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Repeal of Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities”. Repealing this rule would get rid of the most significant increase in protections for nursing home residents in decades.
autisticadvocacy.org/donate [autisticadvocacy.org/donate]
autisticadvocacy.org/aci [autisticadvocacy.org/aci] Applications now open for ACI 2026 [autisticadvocacy.org/aci]
autisticadvocacy.org/2026/01/asan-announces-autistic-barbie/ [autisticadvocacy.org/2026/01/asan-announces-autistic-barbie/] ASAN Announces Autistic Barbie! [autisticadvocacy.org/2026/01/asan-announces-autistic-barbie/]
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2wXBATDAcjo54gPOjoWFLHuHijDZxdkje31VVUwXDwX2HLQ/viewform [docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2wXBATDAcjo54gPOjoWFLHuHijDZxdkje31VVUwXDwX2HLQ/viewform] Sign up to be a Disability Day of Mourning 2026 Site Coordinator [docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2wXBATDAcjo54gPOjoWFLHuHijDZxdkje31VVUwXDwX2HLQ/viewform]
autisticadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ASAN-Anti-Filicide-Toolkit-Complete.pdf [autisticadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ASAN-Anti-Filicide-Toolkit-Complete.pdf] Anti-Filicide Toolkit [autisticadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ASAN-Anti-Filicide-Toolkit-Complete.pdf]
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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