Zoom Autism Magazine Issue 9 | Page 20

ZOOM IN The Right to an Education By Nicolas Joncour Translated into English from French by: Laurence Le Blet, Nicholas’ mother A decent life in France is practically imposlove that I do not feel alone. I think I have the sible for an autistic student, especially right to denounce my condition and my social if you are nonverbal like me. In spediscrimination as long as I would suffer of it. cial schools there is no real education, and the The right to a dignified life is my fight, and I psychiatric hospital remains the norm. As my recently joined the ENIL Youth Network to cremother encounters more and more difficulties ate change. Nonverbal autistic people demand to enroll me in a normal school, the only solurecognition of their right to a real education. tion to an equal opportunity is maybe to leave France. “A decent life in France My life would be rather I want to go to university is practically impossible simple if people would conto study the Holocaust as sider me as a person rather for an autistic student, people with disabilities are than a thing to eradicate. I especially if you are still destined to horrific fates. want my intelligence to be recognized without having nonverbal like me.” My hope is to study history to meet the low expectations and the Holocaust, a subject that has intrigued of people who doubt me. The peculiarity of my me for almost six years. Specifically, Operation disability is that I understand very well what T4, which is the eradication of the people with kind of people I have to deal with. The inability disabilities by the Nazis. Perhaps the Holocaust to defend myself makes me vulnerable to all atinterests me because I feel the discrimination in tacks. Not being able to express oneself orally is relation to my disability. The eyes of others are a very hard way to live. like deportation camps without return for me. People do not consider my written prose withWithout my mother I would likely be in a psyout doubt. Not even my relatives who do not chiatric hospital. The right to education defiunderstand autism. To be recognized, mentalinitely remains the domain of utopia. The more I ties must change, and the way we move, having grow, the more I realize I do not have my place no eye contact and no speech, shouldn’t exclude in society. I have to fight to deserve to dream. us from living a fulfilled life. For this to happen, My disability, autism and dyspraxia, makes me we need the right to education, an education look like a mentally-challenged person. People which mustn’t be negotiable and should be actalk to me as if I am a small child, and they cessible to all. watch my gestures as if I am a monster. The reality is that all their looks are like the slam of a cattle wagon door. My connections towards the victims of Operation T4 are very strong, and my reality joins their fatal destiny. I have faith that helps me, and God gives me so much 20 ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses “My life would be rather simple if people would consider me as a person rather than a thing to eradicate.” Nicolas Joncour is a 16-year-old nonverbal autistic student who types. He lives in France and is homeschooled and in mainstream school for a few hours per week. Follow him on Facebook and visit his blog. ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses 21