ASSA is a self advocacy group for people in in coastal West Sussex diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, high functioning autism, or similar Autism spectrum disorders.
We currently meet twice a month, on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
About Us
Dear ASSA.
Only just heard of you – would have contacted years ago otherwise! I’m a guy living in Brighton with Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus, Dyspraxia and Asperger’s. They all come out in my face, making of me a preternaturally ugly sod – and that’s all anyone ever sees. Spent the first 20 years of my life being beaten up, mugged and burgled in London because of it, the second 20 years ditto in Hastings – and getting it just as bad from other disabled people who you’d’v’e THOUGHT would’ve been more understanding – and the last 10 years ditto in Brighton. (All my teeth kicked out, head caved in, stab wounds, boiling water chucked over me giving me permanent ulcers, everything stolen over and over again.)
I’ve really, really tried. I’ve applied for everything I can safely do (got balance/co-ordination probs. but can control them) tried to make friends (that usually gets me banned from places because they complain about having to look at me) tried for girlfriends/relationships (complete no-go area, that!) and am now totally out of ideas. I get Loads of Pitying Comments, but nobody lets me join in.
Please, how do I get people PAST the disabilities TO let me join in? I’m still ‘up for it’, it’s just I’ve been rejected from absolutely everything I’ve tried to join in with (latest was an Asperger’s club – went 3 times, got told by the neurotypical running it she didn’t want me ‘infecting’ – her word – the others any more and given the bum’s rush.) Never had friends, very, very rarely had conversations, never mixed with anyone – partially through fear – groups beat up on me – and partially through lack of understanding HOW to – but I want to do it all. It’s just nobody will let me. (To be honest, I’ve flat run out of things to be turned down for. Example – last summer a local sailing bunch did disability sailing days – for everyone else but not me because I didn’t have a carer to go with me. I don’t need a carer. They still turned me down because of that. Example 2. Where I was in Hastings did all kinds of outings, courses, groups – for all the others, but not me because they said they couldn’t get funding for me. I offered to pay my own way but they wouldn’t take my money, so all the time I was there I was watching everyone else doing stuff I’d’ve given anything to join in with but they wouldn’t let me. I’d spend days wandering all over Hastings volunteering for stuff and I got turned down for the lot. Nobody SAID this but I’m pretty sure I was the only disabled person volunteering for jobs in disability charity shops, wasn’t seeing any others there. So it’s neurotypicals wanting to keep us in ghettoes. But the ghettoes weren’t letting me do anything either and I’ve really tried.)
I’m totally out of ideas now, I’ve E_mailed people and websites everywhere I can discover or think of, nobody tells me anything helpful – can you at least do that?
How do I make them let me?
Yours hopefully
Chris.
Are you still meeting? I’d like to try and get to a meeting sometime if you are. Many Thanks