self advocacy resource
ASAN AUNZ launches free Autistic Advisory Groups Guide and Toolkit
ASAN AUNZ developed this guide to help organisations and community groups set up safe, effective and accessible Autistic advisory groups.
ASAN AUNZ is proud to announce the launch of its Autistic Advisory Groups Guide and Toolkit. The free resource has been developed to guide organisations and community groups in setting up Autistic advisory groups that are safe, effective and accessible.
What is an Autistic advisory group?
Autistic advisory groups provide their lived experience and feedback to help organisations provide better services and make better decisions about things that affect our communities.
Three years in the making
ASAN AUNZ spent over three years running its own advisory groups in order to develop the guide and toolkit. More than 30 Autistic people helped shape the project.
‘We made mistakes, we got feedback, we learned, we improved, and we made processes and templates from those lessons’, said Cheryl Koch, ASAN AUNZ’s general manager.
‘As a result, we’ve created a resource that helps Autistic people and organisations to work together to create an advisory process that is accessible, supportive and effective.’
The role of Autistic people in decision-making
‘Autistic people have a crucial role to play in advising organisations about decision-making that positively impacts the Autistic community, and we want to see more Autistic advisory groups working on issues that matter to our community’, said Alexandra Bignell, chair of ASAN AUNZ.
‘This guide and toolkit will make it easier for organisations to set up and run Autistic advisory groups, enabling Autistic people to be part of important decisions that impact our community.’
About the resource
The resource contains two parts: a guide and a toolkit.
The guide: Part one explains the principles, governance model, accessibility approach and design choices behind Autistic advisory groups.
The toolkit: part two provides the practical workflow for planning, recruiting, onboarding, preparing meetings, running meetings and recording outcomes, including templates.
The resource has been designed mainly for people who are setting up and running Autistic advisory groups, but also contains useful information for Autistic individuals to self-advocate for accessibility and participate safely in advisory groups.
ASAN AUNZ will be sharing insights from the guide and toolkit over the coming months.
This resource was developed with support from the South Australian Government’s Office for Autism through funding from an Autism Works in the Community grant.