Click to submit to Tumblr's first autism self-advocacy book! →
PLEASE PUT #ACTUALLYAUTISTIC ANYWHERE IN YOUR SUBMISSIONS (including but not necessarily the tags) SO I KNOW WHAT PROJECT YOU ARE SUBMITTING TO.Fairly recently someone raised the idea of releasing a zine for Tumblr’s autistic community.
Although they were told that’s what The Loud Hands Project is for, it wasn’t specifically about Tumblr. There are no restrictions on what stories can be told by this community, nor is there a single group or organisation that is responsible for compiling and publishing them. I am here and eager to start work. I’ve realised that I have a talent for this, and it is also an autistic obsession of mine. The internet has made every element of this book possible, which is why my story would be a great submission.
This would be my third printed book project, and I don’t need much input besides the obvious aesthetics. IF YOU CAN GIVE ME THE POSTS, I CAN MAKE A PRETTY GOOD BOOK OUT OF IT. This made me realise that I could format a properly printed book to be ordered online for any Tumblr blog or community if they message me off anon/with contact details. I can format any blog or tag into a professional looking book, and you could edit it right until it’s online. Potentially I could make money out of formatting websites for self-publishing, since I imagine most ‘automated’ websites wouldn’t do it how a human would. Right now I’m so obsessed with the idea of printing books and all I want is meaningful stuff to print. That means I’ll do it at no cost to you other than a tiny profit margin per book that is sold. The price would be highly negotiable.
I could also transcribe English audio only (my visual processing sucks) from any audio or video file or link.
Any transcript would be included instead of the video or audio post.
I would only charge for this if it seriously impacted upon my time.
I’m about to be unemployed, probably for a long time. I have a lot of time until I specify otherwise, so there will be no limit on submissions. The only rule is that you must be an autistic Tumblr user. You can discuss, but aren’t required to discuss, how the website and technology relates to your autism. Depending on how many submissions I receive, I may have to ‘widen the net’ of potential topics. I know that many internet/autism zines have been made before, but let’s remember this could be a properly bound book of 250 pages or more. It all depends on how many submissions I get, and I know there are a lot of people that would be interested in such a project. The final product will almost definitely be $15 to buy from one of the self-publishing websites.
I will post a separate list of all the topics I’ve thought of.
If you want to keep up to date with this project, track this tag.
If you like/bookmark the list of suggested topics, you know you’ll always get the latest submission guidelines and information.
Google seems to show there’s never been a tumblr autism zine on the internet and its effect on our psychology. This could mean being part of something new and special. For the first time in history, self-publishing and the internet has allowed anyone to produce a book. I will compile the project using Evernote. If you send me the email address for your Evernote account, I can add you to the shared notebook. This would allow you to view all submissions that in Evernote so far, and would also allow you to edit your own submission up to the day I format the book for printing. Obviously I have to say at this point, don’t edit anyone else’s submissions. Don’t submit anyone else’s writing either, unless the author consents. I don’t care about copyright, but no one wants their work published without their explicit consent.
You can submit entries directly to me, hopefully mentioning it’s for the autism book at some point.
This book could instill the self-advocacy of Tumblr’s autistic community, and potentially bring it to a much wider audience.
When I started Fuck Yeah Stimming earlier this year, it was because there was virtually no information on it written by autistic people online.
I realised it was because not many people talk about it, so these stories aren’t heard or published.
All over Tumblr autistic people are gushing about how the internet has helped them to learn about their diagnosis and meet new people.
We are the first generation to grow up on the internet.
Let’s get some of it down on paper.
Legal Disclaimer: Copyright law states that your content must abide by the content submission rules of the self-publishing website I choose. This means ALL CONTENT MUST BE YOUR OWN WORK, or the work of someone who explicitly consents for it to be published by you. This includes the cover image and spine. I am only providing the service of formatting the book, so I will not be liable if other parties take legal action against any book I work on. That responsibility is entirely yours. Your name will be stated in the book’s copyright information.
Signal to the boooooooooost!!!!!!!
sometimes the loud hands video is more important. it’s revenge. it’s comfort.
because on days like this i need to hear something other than a parent’s belief that her autistic child was healed just because they were acting better one day after intense pressure through a prayer session.
so when i post it on facebook without really elaborating as to why, it’s more than a cute music video.
it’s my response.
it’s okay. it’s okay. it’s OKAY.
i’m okay. and that’s one of the most powerful messages.
<3
I want to marry the loud hands video and have its babies and I’m not even autistic. IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND SUBVERSIVE AND REBELLIOUS AND JULIA IS A GENIUS.
Just Stimming: Quiet Hands by Julia Bascom →
TW: This has been seriously triggering to a lot of people. It’s a description of what happens when people say “quiet hands,” and their history with the phrase from early childhood.
Reblogging because if anyone following this blog hasn’t read it, they must do so.
AND SHARE IT A THOUSAND-FOLD!
I meant to reblog this to here. I better get used to using multiple blogs…
FOREVER REBLOG OMG ALL THE LOVES.
Call for video clips
Call for video clips
The Loud Hands Project, an initiative of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, is planning a video which looks at the impact of passing and the demand to pass on Autistics who can or are forced to attempt to mask their autistic traits. We are also interested in exploring the impact on autistic people of being told that they don’t “deserve” to qualify for a diagnosis. To that end, this video challenges assumptions about autism and passing, explores what passing is and if it’s even possible, and shares the experiences of autistics who have been compelled to “pass,” asking if extinguishing or masking behavior is the same as undoing autism. The role and value of the autistic community is examined, and we end by assessing the very real human cost of the passing demand as well as pressure to undiagnose autistics, cutting them off from their community and any hope of self understanding or acceptance.
How you can help:
Part of the video will involve assembling a wide variety of brief video and audio clips provided by members of the Autistic community discussing various facets described above. Specifically, interested autistics are asked to film short (10-15 second) clips of themselves answering any of the following questions:
What does Autistic Community mean to you?
Why does Autistic Community matter?
Why is Autistic Community important to you?
How has the Autistic Community impacted your life?
How has having access to the Autistic Community helped you?
What are the benefits of Autistic Community?
What would you lose if you were no longer considered a part of the Autistic Community?
What does it mean to “pass” as nonautistic?
What do you pass as? (Loner, eccentric, twitchy, intellectually disabled, high, stoic, robot, etc.)
How do you pass?
What are your tricks for passing?
What are you passed off as?
What does passing cost you?
Do you ever feel guilty or dishonest for passing? Can you tell us about that?
How does your ability to pass affect your autistic identity?
How does passing affect your self esteem?
Email your clips to jbascom@autismadvocacy.org
Signal boosting the fuck out of this!
Booooooooooooooostiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin’!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’re over 90% of the way there!
The Loud Hands project has passed the $9000 mark! We have less than $1000 left to raise before we meet our original goal. Our goal is to make that before our first three weeks are up.
SO.
Now is the time to remind your friends, families, acquaintances, arch-rivals, and bitter enemies about The Loud Hands Project and make a donation! Spread the word! Let’s do this!
We have blog badges!
The Loud Hands Project now has blog badges available! They come in a small and an expanded size.
170x193 pixels
170x300 pixels
Not sure how to make a blog badge?A blog badge is an image that is linked to a site. It doesn’t have to go in your blog’s side bar or anything like that. Some people put them in their forum signatures as well. It is a good idea to upload images for blog badges to your own website so that you don’t over use other people’s bandwidth. For example, the graphic designer is using her own wordpress media library to host hers, and that is what is in the sample code below. Some sites like wordpress have different tools to make it easier for you.
If you are putting them on a forum, they might use a slightly different coding system. But the basic code is as follows: <a href=”http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Loud-Hands-Project“><img src=”http://crackedmirrorinshalott.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/lhpbb1-2-4med.jpg“></a> This will come out looking like the larger blog badge above.
If you want it to have an image description, the code will look like this: <a href=”http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Loud-Hands-Project“><img src=”http://crackedmirrorinshalott.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/lhpbb1-2-4med.jpg” alt=”Blog Badge- Large. A large white person is holding a sign up that says ‘The Loud Hands Project’. Below this image, text reads ‘The Loud Hands Project’ and ‘Autistic People, Speaking.’ Below that it reads ‘Watch the Video. Read About the Project. Support the Work. Visit indiegogo for more about The Loud Hands Project.’”></a>
Here are two examples of image descriptions for these blog badges. You could also choose to write your own. Image descriptions are important, because they let users using screen readers to be full participants online.
Blog Badge- Small. A large white person is holding a sign up that says “The Loud Hands Project”. Below this image, text reads “The Loud Hands Project” and “Autistic People, Speaking”.
Blog Badge- large. A large white person is holding a sign up that says “The Loud Hands Project”. Below this image, text reads “The Loud Hands Project” and “Autistic People, Speaking”. Below that it reads “Watch the Video. Read About the Project. Support the Work. Visit indiegogo for more about The Loud Hands Project.”
Please share widely!
(With thanks to Savannah, who designed the badges and helped script this explanation!)
Will def. put a badge on my long form blog when it’s not 1 AM and I have more spoons.
Seeing someone donate to Loud Hands project with the comment, “I hope a cure can be found!”
Like… that is so not what we’re about, but thanks for your money?
bahahahahaha fail.
Halfway there!
(Woooooah, livin’ on a prayer……) (etc.)
In the past four days, the following things have happened:
-The Loud Hands Project has launched.
-55 people have sent us a vote of confidence by funding us.
-We’ve reached our halfway goal of $5000.
-We’ve become a featured campaign on the indiegogo home page.This project is advancing beyond our wildest dreams. We are humbled and in awe of the enthusiastic support we’ve received. PLEASE keep sharing the project around so we can stay a featured campaign on indiegogo and keep generating awareness and momentum. As a reminder, we have a facebook page as well as a twitter account (right now we’re asking people to tweet us reasons why the project matters to them under the hashtag #loudhandsproject.) “Like” us, follow us, and keep spreading the word and sharing the link to this campaign around. We have scripts for that!
Excitedly,
Julia Bascom, project organizer
I love the Loud Hands project! (And the Livin’ On A Prayer reference!) Please signal boost!
Transcript at source!
Our Story
The Loud Hands Project is a publishing effort by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Currently, we are raising money towards the creation of our first and foundational anthology (Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking) and accompanying website.
Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking features essays, long and short, by Autistic authors writing on autism acceptance, neurodiversity, Autistic pride and culture, disability rights and resistance, and resilience (known collectively by the community as having loud hands). Questions posed to the contributors might include what does autism mean to you; why does Autistic culture matter; what do you wish you had known growing up Autistic; how can the Autistic community cultivate resilience; what does “loud hands” mean to you; and how do you have loud hands? The anthology is the first of a projected series featuring contributions from Autistic writers stressing the preservation and celebration of Autistic culture and resilience. The website will host shorter and multi-media submissions along the same lines, along with additional materials and videos, and serve as a focal point for the project and community.
Our Impact:
The Loud Hands Project is about survival, resilience, and pride. The Loud Hands Project is necessary because autistic youth face systematic oppression, abuse, and bullying every day. It does not “get better” for us—typically, upon graduation, it actually gets worse. This must change.
The Loud Hands Project is a structured, multi-facetted response by the Autistic community to the systematic disenfranchisement, bullying, and abuse experienced by autistic youth, young adults, and self advocates. Taking the form of a publishing effort by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and spearheaded by Julia Bascom, The Loud Hands Project consists of multiple prongs organized around the theme of what the Autistic community refers to as “having loud hands”—autism acceptance, neurodiversity, Autistic pride, community, and culture, disability rights and resistance, and resilience. We focus on cultivating resilience among autistic young people and empowering us in building communities and cultures of ability, resistance, and worth. To quote Laura Hershey: “you weren’t the one who made you ashamed, but you are the one who can make you proud.”
How You Can Help:
We need to raise ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to help cover the initial costs of putting together and distributing our first anthology and launching our website. Please consider making a donation here—every little bit helps!
Spread the word! Check out the share tools on our page, and please use them! You can visit our Facebook page and twitter too, and tweet about the project using the hashtag #loudhandsproject.Watch the video! I am in it and so are many of my friends. Then if you have money, you could donate some of it! Or you could signal boost the video so other people will find out about the awesomeness that is the Loud Hands Project. Let’s go viral.
Guys.
GUYS.
Guys, watch this.
Seriously.
Go.
Now.
Watch. And SIGNAL BOOOOOOOST!!!!!!!!!
Help make a video for The Loud Hands Project!
Okay guys, this is the oddest thing I’ve ever asked for.
The request is pretty simple: if you identify as autistic—or if you have an ASD dx but maybe identify more generally as disabled, bad brains, etc.—I need you to take several 10-second videos that consist of you flipping over a sign containing one of the following phrases and holding it while looking at the camera, tonight, and then send them to me at juststimming@gmail.com.
The phrases I need to be on these signs are:
-Autistic children grow up.
-I am an Autistic adult.
-I am Autistic and I can speak for myself.
-I’m ok.
-You’re ok.
-We’re ok.
-I can talk without my voice.
-I can say things without words.
-Talk with your hands.
-I am proud of my brain.
-My brain is beautiful.
-My existence is rich and meaningful.
-Autism has been here all along.
-Disability is a natural part of the human experience.
-I am not a tragedy.
-Autistic and badass.
-My silence is not an absence.
-I know my brain better than anyone else.
-Listen to me.
-Listen.
-It’s my turn.
If you are willing, I also need these less pleasant ones:
-People hurt me.
-They held my hands down.
-They made me take my clothes off.
-They called me retarded.
-They hit me.
-I was ignored.
-They said I was broken.
-They never stopped trying to “fix” me.
-My parents wanted a normal kid.
-My parents wished I’d never been born.
-My parents wish I had cancer.
Okay, so: why do I need these?
I am making a quick promotional video for The Loud Hands Project, the kickstarter campaign of which will launch on Monday. You can learn more details about The Loud Hands Project at the doc here, but it is essentially a way to amplify the voices of Autistic youth, young adults, and self-advocates as we speak out against anti-autistic bullying and abuse and speak up for autistic worth, resilience, and culture. The project has a lot of different facets and a huge potential, but we need some money to fund all of its aspects. So we’re doing a fundraiser on kickstarter, and part of that is a video.
The video has several parts, and I don’t have the space to describe them all here. The signs are a small but important part of it, and it will be more powerful if I can use clips of multiple different autistic people holding different signs, rather than only me. I would be thrilled and honored if you would be willing to help me with this.
If you can help, here’s what to do:
1: Make sure you are using a video camera or a recording feature which doesn’t flip or mirror the image. The audience will need to be able to read your sign.
2: You can pick any of the phrases you want! Don’t worry about duplication—I’m hoping that multiple people will record signs for the same phrases, actually. You could do one or two that speak to you or are true of you, a related set—several of the phrases go in groups of three or four around a related idea—or the whole list.
3: You don’t have to say anything. In fact, any sound recorded will not be used.
4: If you’re like me, you worry about your face when you’re being filmed. Don’t. The important part here is that the viewer is able to read what your sign says—big letters, decent light, hold it still. You can smile, if you think it’s appropriate. You can look away from the camera if you need to. You can hold the sign over your face. You can stim or twitch or rock if you need to. which brings me to the next bit…
5: If you can also make a ten-second video or two of you stimming, however you do, I will love you for forever.
6: Email them to me, tonight or tomorrow morning, at juststimming@gmail.com. There is a deadline. This is a limited-time opportunity, etc.
7: If you can’t make a video, that’s fine. Would be willing to pass this on to people who might be able to?
Thank you so, so much for your help. I’m really excited to be able to unveil the project, and the video to promote it, on Monday…but we need to make it the video, first!
signal booooooooooostiiiiiingg!!!
