The Autism Voice Project

Autism Voice is a charitable initiative set up in 2013, by a family of an autistic child. The London-based charity works to support autistic and neurodivergent people and their families from the global majority community in the United Kingdom (UK).

People with disabilities from the global majority community in the UK face poorer access to health care including autism services. Structural inequalities like racism and intersectional factors worsen health inequality among neurodivergent people from the global majority community. The community also face poorer health outcomes due to a range of factors including racism and this was amplified by the covid-19 pandemic with higher rate of infection, hospitalization, and deaths. Many of the people we support experience high rate of co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression; anxiety; eating disorder and sleep problems related to living with a neurodivergence condition or caring for a neurodivergent person. Majority of the people we support are poor and live in some of the most deprived areas in the UK. Despite the growth in autism education and awareness, cultural and religious beliefs, accompanied by stigma, normally put autistic people and families in intolerable and often dangerous situations. The covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis brought about their own uncertainties and hardship, increasing our service-users' chances of experiencing poverty and mental health challenges. Experiences of anxiety, lower feelings of hope during covid-19 were particularly high and some still have low confidence in going outdoors.

According to Trust for London (2023), Londoners from the global majority community are significantly more likely to be in poverty than their white counterpart. 34% of Londoners from the global majority community was in poverty in 2022/23, twice the proportion of white Londoners at 17%. The Bangladeshi community had the highest poverty rate at 63% while the black African, Caribbean/Black British community was at 32%.

The stigma around neurodivergence in the global majority community is factual and it brings real-world consequences for well-being, community inclusion and livelihood (Divan et al., 2012). People with an obvious and visible disability may be treated with compassion, care and charity, but kindness and understanding are not always extended to those with less immediately visible differences (Vaidya, 2020). This can make it difficult to be an openly neurodivergent person in the global majority community. Moreover, within traditional black culture, identity and status are rooted in familial and community group (Papadopoulos, 2016). Stigma around neurodivergence, and its associated consequences, can therefore impact upon the whole family.

We aim to end stigma and discrimination attached to autism and neurodivergence in the global majority community and also provide practical support with enhance the confidence of this population to live fulfilling lives.

Autism Voice envisions a society in which neurodivergent people and their families are supported by a society that works to ensure they can live with dignity, freely participate and contribute to communal and societal development, and strive for a brighter future.

We aim to educate the public and change perception of neurodivergent people, provide culturally sensitive practical support that centres the culture and beliefs of beneficiaries. We also aim to advocate for support and protection of neurodivergence people and help in enhancing they and families live a happy and fulfilling lives.

To reach our goal, we deliver the following activities:

• Weekend Social Club for children and young people
• Social clubs for 16-25
• Mentorship and befriending
• Wellbeing Support groups
• Craft-making course
• One to one talk session
• Capacity building
• Family liaison & Advocacy
• Community Outreach
• Autism awareness workshops
• Children's holiday clubs 

Follow us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tiktok: @autismvoice1, Facebook: AutismVoiceUK

Visit Us at: Home - autismvoice.org.uk

Contact:

• Email: info@autismvoice.org.uk, autismvoice1@gmail.com
• Telephone: 08458605547/07460399290