Bertie: ....You're trivializing everything! Listen to me! LISTEN TO ME! Lionel: By what right? Bertie: BY DIVINE RIGHT IF YOU MUST, I AM YOUR KING. Lionel: What? No, you're not, you told me yourself; Said you didn't want it. Bertie: This-THIS IS...! *frustrated* I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HEARD...! I HAVE A VOICE! ... Lionel: ...Yes you do. -The King's Speech, Bertie to Lionel. *** I have a voice. The very first year of college struck me hard. I was not a confidant woman. Not in my speaking least of all. And yet, the dream that lingered in the back of my head, the very thing that I wanted to be, required just that. Speaking into a microphone, and yet when I went to speak, no one listened. In fact when I first spoke on the potential for a new breakthrough in helping patients with Epilepsy or Parkinsons disease, they all laughed at me when I called a girl out for not paying attention to my presentation. I was impulsive, yes, I admit this now. But at the time I was facing not...
Unheard Voices: Empathy, Acceptance and the Infinite possibilities of Autistic Individuals Faith Jacobs When the word Autism comes to one’s mind, what do you think of? Do you think of the stereotypes that have been invasive and are still invasive in hollywood? Do you think someone with autism has a certain look to them? Or are you unfamiliar? In that case, allow me to begin by kindly inviting you to step into our shoes, through the eyes of empathy and most importantly, acceptance. I would like to invite you into my shoes and to start, let’s purge the thought that Autism is something of a tragic diagnosis as portrayed by horrific organizations out there that try to paint a picture of a person who will never be successful. I balk at this because here I am, a self made young autistic woman who is a successful creator in her own right and I could list all I’ve ever done, though we’d be here all day if I rambled! I must say, however, that I am not a tragedy, my future is un...