Meet Julia Bascom, a Felicity House Self Advocate Advisory Board (SAAB) member. Julia joined the SAAB last year along with seven other autistic women who are all leaders within their communities working on a national level to empower others living with autism.

For the next few months we will introduce all of our SAAB members and highlight their communities. This month we are getting to know Julia and her community in Washington DC.

Bio: Julia Bascom is the Executive Director at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Previously, she did state-level work in her home state of New Hampshire, where she served on the DD council and co-led an inter-agency team to revitalize self-advocacy within the state, in addition to her work with ASAN. Julia edited Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking, an anthology of writings by autistic people, and currently serves on the Disability Equality Index advisory board, the Centene National Disability Advisory Council, and the board of Advance CLASS, Inc. She writes about autistic identity, community, and language; disability rights; theory vs. praxis; and autism acceptance on her website, Just Stimming.

What excites you most about joining the Felicity House Self Advocacy Advisory Board? Felicity House is the kind of space I always wished I’d had when I was younger. I’m so excited to be able to be involved in it now.

What advice would you give your younger self? You are going to really like stage managing. Start earlier.

What do you embrace most about your autism diagnosis? Echolalia.

Who inspires you and why? Judy Heumann, the mother of the disability rights movement. She always spoke up, even when it seemed impossible.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Hermione Granger.

Washington DC Fun Fact: There is an empty crypt beneath the Capitol building. George Washington was supposed to be buried there but he wanted to be buried at Mount Vernon so the crypt is empty.