Autopia! No, it is not a neologism! Autopia is a track that exists in the Disney amusement park in the USA. But Autopia can also be a kind of utopia lived by autistic people. What do you mean? you ask.
Many will know that utopia is a word used to describe an imaginary society that possesses highly desirable qualities for its citizens. And as such, the term is often used when someone wants to refer to something that will probably never exist.
I think many of you have had utopian thoughts about something at some point in your life. What would your idea of a perfect country be like? And of a perfect world? And would that perfect country or world be the same for everyone? Probably not! And then, how would be the utopia thought and desired by the autistic person? And will that same utopia not be close to what many non-autistic people feel it is! And if so, do autistic people wish for a utopia or do they actually want what is theirs and any other citizen's right? And while that utopia is desired and hoped for, autistic people seem to live a dystopia, often without end. Confused?
What would an autistic person's manifesto about a perfect world look like? Perhaps you could say that you would like to be treated equally and with respect as anyone else. And that, as an adult, they would like to be able to live their autonomy and independence, namely in the access to the labour market. Without it being necessary to say or justify some of their characteristics. And if any adaptation was necessary, it would be enough to mention it and that would be treated as any other issue that would need to be changed. And the same for public transport and the functioning of public services such as schools, universities, hospitals, etc.
And now, do you understand? It's not so confusing anymore is it?! In other words, maybe many autistic people wish for their perfect world what already exists as reality for many non-autistic people. And you, how would your utopia be?
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