Celebrating Neurodiversity Celebration Week

This is a special post written by Charles Warren, Curriculum Developer at Triangle. Charlie is also a member of Triangle’s Racial Equity Committee. As part of our commitment to the work of our Racial Equity Committee, we will be sharing more information with you on subjects related to racial equity and disability justice. This post continues our series dedicated to calling attention to the contributions of people with disabilities to American history.

Did you know that it is Neurodiversity Celebration Week? This week, Triangle’s Racial Equity Committee (REC) is celebrating by highlighting neurodivergent people who are focused on increasing awareness and empowerment for people with disabilities. The REC’s posts strive to honor intersectionality and highlight people of color with disabilities whose lives cross over multiple identities and issues ALL at the same time.

Lauren Melissa Ellzey

This Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we are featuring Lauren Melissa Ellzey, a multi-faceted advocate and author, also known as Autienelle. An autistic self-advocate, social justice influencer, and fiction author, her work engages with systems of oppression facing people who are queer, LGBT+, BIPOC, and disabled. Ellzey uses her platform to share authentic autistic experiences. Her debut novel Boy at the Window tells a story that emphasizes the importance of belonging for neurodivergent queer people of color. Her latest release is called Gimmicks and Glamour and explores themes of identity, acceptance, and the intersection of the magical world with the real one. 

Ellzey has worked with many organizations, including Reframing Autism, Peen State, NYU, the United Nations, Pima County Health Department, Amazon Prime Video, and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. According to her website, which provides links to her works and social media presence, her hope is “to co-create a society where autistics nurture autistics as we strive towards true inclusion.”