Happy World Autism Acceptance Day!

Today is World Autism Acceptance Day which is a day we celebrate our amazing community. Today is a day where we educate the world about what it means to be autistic and how we can be better supported in our local communities.

16 years ago the United Nations designated this day as “World Autism Awareness Day”, a day to highlight the need to improve the quality of life of people on the autism spectrum. In recent years however, this day has transformed into a day where we celebrate everything the autism community brings to this world. It is a day where we encourage the world to accept and include us, not just to be aware of our existence. Most importantly it is a day that allows our “hidden” disability to be visible, to the world, even if it is just for a day.

So lets be visible on this day and show the world that autism is nothing to be ashamed of or to hide. Let’s use today to proudly show the world our talents and special interests, let’s show the world what makes us unique. Let’s be proud of who we are and encourage the world to accept and include us as we are.

Today I would like to encourage everyone to celebrate in their own way, whether that means spending time with friends, attending an event near you, or just by supporting local autistic run businesses.

Thanks to the eased covid 19 restrictions there is plenty to do to celebrate World Autism Acceptance day to assist in advocating for a world that accepts, includes and embraces autism so let’s get out there and celebrate.

Happy World Autism Acceptance Day

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker

April is autism acceptance month!

April is Autism Acceptance Month.

This is a month where the autism community can celebrate what makes us unique and advocate for a more accepting and inclusive world. It is a month where we can educate the wider community about what it truly means to be autistic and thanks to the eased COVID 19 restrictions we can once again do this face to face.

This year I would like to encourage everyone to get out and about to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month by attending an event near you or holding a dress up day at your school or workplace. I would like to encourage local businesses, schools, universities, TAFEs and town councils to use April as an opportunity to train your staff about autism inclusion and accessibility. You can do this by organising someone to come and speak to your staff or even contacting us here at Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate to hold one of our innovative autism workshops.

As we begin to get back to the office and school it is important we use this time to make our communities more inclusive and accessible to all. This Autism Acceptance Month lets change the world for the better and don’t forget to #HoodieUp For Autism on April 4th.

Happy Autism Acceptance Month

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker

Bryce Pace - Autism Advocate’s 2021 Christmas Post

It’s that time of year again and despite everything that has happened this year I am proud to share with you all our 2021 Christmas post.

2021 was another difficult year for everyone as we continued to live through the global Covid 19 pandemic. Despite the hardships, or perhaps because of them, this year was also a year of new beginnings and hope as we began to understand what and who is truly important to us.

A lot happened this year and once again sadly not a lot of it was good, however despite us living through a global pandemic we have found ways to cope and even celebrate the big and little things that make life worth living. 2021 saw the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Despite being delayed a year we still found time to celebrate and show pride in our country’s performance. It was unfortunate that no one could attend to cheer on our athletes due to COVID restrictions however, even with this we still found ways to support them and celebrate their achievements. Even though the games are great to watch every year I feel this year’s games were a lot more meaningful as they were held during a time of global adversity that in many ways has brought nations together on a deeper level. The games for many were a time to just watch the athletes and forget what was going on around us even if it was just for a few minutes. It was also a sign of defiance showing the world that nothing will stop us from moving on with our lives and lastly, I feel is was also a sign of normalcy and comfort in a very uncertain and unpredictable time.

This year also saw the first male tennis player to be awarded the Golden Slam which for those of you who don’t follow tennis entails a tennis player winning all 4 championships and a gold medal at the Olympic or Paralympic Games in the same year. Dylan Alcott has achieved so much in such a short time both on and off the court, and I think the best thing is that no matter how many match’s he has won or lost he seemed to ever only think about disability inclusion and accessibility. This focus is evident in the speeches he gives and in interviews with the media and even when you talk to him. I believe that he has shown what people with a disability are capable of and with his retirement at the end of next year’s Australian Open he is allowing another young aspiring tennis player who happens to be a wheelchair user to take his place, to continue to show the world that people with a disability are just as skilled as everyone else. 

2021 was also a big year for space exploration with the year beginning with the launch of Ingenuity, a small 4 pound Helicopter on Mars. This marked the first powered flight on Mars and is a pretty cool experiment for many reasons. Firstly it carried a piece of the wright brother’s plane and it also opens up so many possibilities for getting around Mars when humans eventually set foot there and hopefully even live on the surface. Can you imagine helicopters on mars? We also saw this year the first space tourism flights in history with Space X’s Inspiration4 mission, Benzos’ Blue Origin mission and the Virgin’s Galactic mission. These missions have for the first time opened space up to everyone no matter who you are and given us hope that we all will someday have an opportunity to view earth from a point that only a handful of people so far have had the opportunity to. Out of these three missions though I feel SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission was the one that showcased the possibilities of this future in the best light, not just because they were the first but also because of the four everyday people who were on board. These 4 individuals were just everyday people, not wealthy, not celebrities and not part of any space agency or company, they were just ordinary everyday people who were given a chance of a lifetime to fulfil their dream of going to space. On board there was also the first black woman to ever go to space and the first cancer survivor and a person with a metal rod in their leg. This mission’s goal was to inspire however I feel this mission did so much more than that as it also opened space to the possibility of everyone going no matter what their race, gender, background or level of ability,  we can all make it to space one day. It amazes me that 52 years ago 3 men landed on the moon and now we are flying helicopters on mars and flying civilians into space as tourists. What’s next? 

2021 was also a year of new beginnings for many, as I mentioned before Dylan Alcott is retiring from tennis, a lot of people moved to be closer to loved ones and also to get out of the big cities. Some people switched jobs or decided to pursue their dream careers and some decided to study. For Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate this is also somewhat true as I personally have moved out of home and live independently while also studying a Diploma in Business and my mother moved into her own home in the country which she hopes to renovate and make her own. With these changes I don’t think Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate will quite be the same again and while it is a little sad I am also a little excited for the future of this business as I learn from my studies and continue working on our projects I can’t wait to see the world we help to create together as a community. These new beginnings are bringing hope to many of us who after a hard couple of years need something to look forward to and I believe this is also a sign that we are ready to move on with our lives despite the global pandemic.

As 2021 draws to a close it is time to reflect and look forward to what might be a better year ahead. Just like last Christmas we here at Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate would like you all to think of those who are finding this time of year tough; those who have lost their jobs or loved ones. If you know a neighbour, friend or co-worker who for the first time finds themselves spending Christmas alone or if you know of a family who is struggling to budget in gifts or even Christmas lunch we encourage you to let them know you are thinking of them. Whether that be by bringing some shortbread or cake over, maybe holding an odd fellows lunch for a group who would otherwise be alone, or just by saying hello let’s make sure everyone is remembered this festive season. I know this Christmas is like last year, not what we expected however, that makes it even more important that we ensure everyone is doing alright. It is also important to spend time with your family whether that be in person or by phone or video chat; to have fun and don’t forget to tell some bad Christmas cracker jokes. Let’s reflect on the year we have had and look forward to what 2022 will hopefully bring.

With that in mind from those of us here at Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate, we would like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy and safe new year.

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker  

Bryce Pace - Autism Advocate Turns 5 Today!

Today marks 5 years since Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate was born. 5 years since I wrote the facebook post that began my advocacy journey. 5 years ago I came home frustrated and disappointed in how my school peers where using autism as a way to insult each other, so I did what any typical teenager does, I logged onto facebook and vented what was on my mind in the form of a facebook post. At the time all I was wanting to do was get what was on my mind out into the world, little did I know how much this post was not only going to change my life but the lives of the people my work reaches. 

A lot has happened since that night 5 years ago. I have facilitated workshops right across Victoria, featured in online videos, newspapers, radio shows and magazines. I have participated on panels at conferences and while doing all this I have met some amazing people along the way who have assisted in making Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate what you see today.

Today I would like to thank everyone who has assisted in the growth of Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate. I would like to thank the Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS), the Youth Affairs Council Of Victoria (YACVIC), Get Skilled Access, Kaiko Fidgets and the Glenelg and Southern Grampians learning and employment network to just name a few. I would also like to thank everyone who has supported us by attending our workshops and following us on social media, if it wasn’t for you we would not be running today.

During our short break in 2020 we had some time to reflect on how far we have come and also to begin thinking about the future of Bryce Pace – Autism advocate and I can’t wait to share our new projects with you all in the near future; however for now you’ll have to wait.  I am very proud of what Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate has been able to achieve in our short 5 year life, and I look forward to sharing the next five years with you all as we work to grow our services and continue to work towards our mission of creating a world that accepts, includes and embraces the autism spectrum.

 Thank You

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker

Happy World Autism Acceptance Day

Today is World Autism Acceptance Day which is when we celebrate our amazing community. Today is a day where we educate the world about what it means to be autistic and how we can be better supported in our communities. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, this year we can once again walk the streets, participate in events and be proud to be part of this world wide community.

 In 2007 the United Nations designated April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day, a day that highlights the need to improve the quality of life of those of us on the autism spectrum. Today I feel this idea has evolved into a day where we celebrate what Autism brings to this world. It is no longer about raising awareness, but about promoting acceptance and inclusion, and most importantly about allowing our hidden disability be visible to our friends and colleagues even if it is just for one day.

Today I would like to encourage everyone to celebrate in their own way, whether that means spending time with friends, attending an event either online or in person, or just by writing a social media post like this one.

 In 2020 we weren’t able to celebrate World Autism Acceptance Day the way we usually do due to covid 19, today however as restrictions begin to ease and life begins to get back to normal we can now celebrate this day and be proud to be part of the autism community. 

 Throughout 2020 our community went through a lot, and I know these experiences have brought us closer. I also feel that due to what happened in 2020 that today is even more important as we begin to interact with the outside world again we need acceptance and inclusion more than ever. We also need to educate the world about how lockdowns negatively affect autistics and highlight supports that we need both during a global pandemic and now during the aftermath. We also need to share our stories to raise awareness, and to ensure these experiences are never lost to history. Today the world is listening to us, so let’s take advantage of this and flood the internet, the media and the streets with our stories so that we can create a more accepting and inclusive world for the next generation of autistics.

 Happy World Autism Acceptance Day

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker

Happy Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Acceptance Month. This is a month where we can celebrate what makes us unique, and advocate for a more accepting and inclusive world. It is a month where we can educate the wider community about what it truly means to be on the autism spectrum, and thanks to Covid 19 Restrictions beginning to ease this year we can once again celebrate face to face. 

This year I would like to encourage everyone to get out of the house and celebrate Autism Acceptance Month by attending an event near you, holding a dress up day at your school or workplace, participating in Hoodie Up on the 30th of April or just hanging out with friends and family. After what we experienced last year it is important to once again get outside, join together and celebrate Autism Acceptance Month as a community.

Happy Autism Acceptance Month

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker

2020 Christmas post

2020 was a difficult year for everyone, it was a year of reflection, change and community as we learnt how to live during a global pandemic. 

A lot happened this year not much of it was good, however we have all found a way to cope and sometimes even laugh at some of the odd things that have occurred. A great example of this is how toilet paper became a luxury item due to nation wide shortages, who would have thought? And how masks have now become a fashion accessory with thousands of different styles to go with your wardrobe; now Japan and China can say they were doing it before it became cool.

We have also learnt a lot this year, and I don’t just mean about viruses but also about ourselves and what is truly important to us. Going into lockdown I can remember the mixed feelings of the autism community, I remember people joking how they had been prepared for this their whole life as they thought we could cope without being around people outside our household. I also remember the struggle when our routines were suddenly changed, we could no longer go to work or school, we couldn’t buy the usual brands as shipping was almost at a stand still and we had to start wearing uncomfortable masks as there were no sensory friendly masks to be found. Despite all the difficulties the autism community faced this year we once again showed how empathetic and close our community is, for every problem an autistic or their family faced there was always someone online ready to assist. It is times like this that remind me how lucky I am to be part of such a caring community who is always there ready to assist.

Our community wasn’t the only one struggling this year though, May saw a wave of Black Lives Matter protests break out across the US and the world a result of the death of George Floyd. These protests will be remembered both for their violence with the burning down of buildings and clashes with police during the non-peaceful protests, and for the actions president Donald Trump took which included, sending riot police in to violently break up a peaceful protest outside the Whitehouse so he could get a photo op. Despite these negatives a lot of good has come out of these protests. Companies and organisations have reviewed their policies and their workforce to make them more inclusive and now more people are aware of the police brutality that exists in their local communities. People have begun to share their stories of police mistreatment due to their race which has then assisted in making a change.

I think the best thing to come out of 2020 is the US election results which showed that the US had had enough of Trump’s lack of leadership and action during one of the worst years in US history. Trump will always be remembered, however it’s probably not the way he wanted to be remembered as he has killed millions of people due to his inaction and lack of leadership. He has shown on multiple occasions that he doesn’t care about his people all he cares about is himself. 2021 looks positive for the US as the Biden administration takes over as the most diverse administration in history and I look forward to seeing what they do within their first hundred days. 

2020 will be a year to remember as it has changed the way we see the world. It has brought families closer together and it has also taken some of those loved ones away from us. As 2020 draws to a close it is time to reflect and look forward to what will hopefully be a better year ahead. This Christmas I would like to challenge you all to think of those that are finding it tough this year, those that have lost jobs and loved ones; if you know of a neighbour who for the first time is spending Christmas alone, or if you know of a family who is struggling to budget in gifts for their kids perhaps do something so they realise you are thinking of them. Bring some shortbread or cake over to their house, or drop in and say hi this Christmas either in person or via zoom. Let’s make sure everyone is taken care of and is full of cheer this festive season. I know this Christmas doesn’t feel the same as last year however it is important after the year we have had to ensure everyone is doing alright. It is also important to have some fun and crack a few bad Christmas jokes and look forward to what the new year will bring.

With that in mind from all of us here at Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate, we would like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a hopefully happier and safer 2021.

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker

Happy INTERNATIONAL Day Of People With DISABILITY

Today is International Day Of People with Disability which is a day where we celebrate everything that people with a disability bring to our communities and to promote a more inclusive world for all. Today I would like to challenge you all to rethink the way you see disability by seeing the “ability” in the “disability” as even though those of us with a disability have difficulties with some things we can  also be talented, funny, friendly and amazing individuals if only people would see past our disability to get to know us.

Today I would like to ask you all to support talented individuals with a disability in your local community whether that be attending an art show, listening to music by a local artist, purchasing hand made items or just talking to them to show your support and that you see them as an important part of your community. 

Let’s use today not just to celebrate the amazing things that people with a disability bring to the world but also by helping to make our local communities a more inclusive and accessible place. Let’s acknowledge our diverse world and make it accessible to all.

If you would like to learn more about how you can celebrate today feel free to head to https://www.idpwd.com.au/

You can also find a video library for International Day of People with Disability on ABC iview https://iview.abc.net.au/collection/1202

 With that I would like to wish everyone a happy International Day of People with Disability.

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker

Emerging Young Leaders Program Applications Open Now

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of speaking to 16 emerging young leaders about self-discovery. I would like to thank YDAS - Youth Disability Advocacy Service for inviting me and I look forward to meeting the next group in August. If you are between the ages of 14 to 19 be sure to apply before applications close.

Bryce Pace - Autism Advocate Turns 4 Today

Today we celebrate four years of Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate. Four years since I wrote the Facebook post that started my advocacy Journey. When I wrote that Facebook post I was just aiming to get what was on my mind out into the world, little did I know how much that post would not only change my life but those of the people who it reached. If you ha of told me four years ago that I would be running my own business with the goal of changing how people view autism I would most definitely not have believed you as I was still hiding my autism from the world and working toward becoming a carpenter. Today I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way; The Victorian Student Representative Council, YDAS - Youth Disability Advocacy Service, Youth Affairs Council Victoria, Uniting Wimmera, Get Skilled Access and Kaiko Fidgets to just name a few. Without your assistance we would not be where we are today, I am proud of the work we have been able to do with the support of these wonderful people and I look forward to our future work as Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate grows. I started Bryce Pace – Autism advocate with the view that if I assisted in making just one autistic person’s life better, I would have done my job and I am proud to still stand by this view today. All our services here at Bryce Pace – Autism advocate aim to improve the lives of those of us on the autism spectrum whether it be through educating the wider community or providing businesses, organisations, and events with the resources they need to make their services more inclusive. For those of you who are new and haven’t had a chance to read our first post feel free to read it below.

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker

Happy World Autism Acceptance Day

Today is World Autism Acceptance Day which is a day where we celebrate our amazing community. Today is a day where we educate the world about what autism is and how we could be better supported in our community. It is a day where we usually would walk the streets proudly, however, this year is slightly different. Due to current world events, we won’t be able to walk the streets or attend any events that are usually run on this day however this does not mean we can’t still celebrate.

This year let’s bring our day to our communities by celebrating in your own unique way. Celebrate your individuality, who you are whether that be by decorating your home, posting online a picture or video of your special interest or using the time to catch up with fellow autistics. Let’s use today to educate the world about what autism means to us and let the world know that we are an amazing and creative worldwide community.

We may not be able to go out and celebrate however I would like to encourage you all to connect by letting us know how you are celebrating today in the comments below. These are difficult times for us all however this does not mean we can’t still connect and celebrate what makes us unique. I would like to finish by wishing everyone a happy and safe World Autism Acceptance Day.

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker