Online Autscape 2026: Presentations

Radical Self-Acceptance Through Creative Writing & Reading, delivered by poet and performer Kate Fox, uses poems by neurodivergent poets such as Joanne Limburg & Audre Lorde as prompts to encourage you to explore themes of self-acceptance through creative writing.

This session aims to be neurodivergent-affirming - which may mean different things to you and other people at different times. You are welcome to have your camera on and to engage by putting up your hand to speak and ask questions or to share your work on camera after exercises or when I ask for thoughts. Or you could reply by messaging in the Chat function which will be open throughout. It’s also fine to have your camera off for some, or all of, the time. And to do the writing exercises without sharing in chat or on camera.

A small group of colleagues have creatd the platform Autistic Radio. They are broadcasting live and creating audio podcasts. Their listeners are both Autistic and non Autistic and include Autism professionals and researchers.

Autistic Radio is at Online Autscape to learn from the audience and modify their current model of peer support, called "Backstage". Backstage was formed as an autistic space during Autistic Radio's annual "Radio Days" loneliness prevention project.

This workshop explores how building autism communities can positively support autistic individuals by creating inclusive, peer-led spaces grounded in lived experience. It focuses on the practical and social value of community-building as a tool for wellbeing, empowerment, and collective advocacy.

• Examine how autism communities reduce isolation and promote a sense of belonging.
• Highlight the role of peer support and shared experience in improving confidence and self-advocacy.
• Consider how community spaces can influence wider systems, including services and policy.

Key themes: Participants will discuss how psychologically safe environments enable autistic people to engage without pressure to mask or conform. The session will explore knowledge-sharing within communities, including practical strategies for navigating education, employment, and public services. Attention will also be given to how collective organisation strengthens autistic voices and challenges deficit-based narratives.

Intended outcomes: By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clearer understanding of the individual and collective benefits of autism community-building. Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on how community-led approaches can be embedded in their own practice, organisations, or local networks to support more inclusive and effective outcomes.

Learn how to decorate, fold, glue and finish two different types of simple folded book, each made from a single sheet of paper.

Required materials:

• several sheets of A4 paper (printer/copier paper is fine, or any paper up to 160gsm)
• scissors
• glue stick/Pritt stick (or PVA glue and a brush)
• something to draw with

Pencils, pens, coloured pencils, felt tips, markers – any drawing material that doesn't smudge will work. Whatever you enjoy using or have available. I would advise against oil pastels or soft/chalk pastels, as they smudge. Watercolour, acrylic or tempera/poster paints, or acrylic inks can also be used, but will take a while to dry. A mix of materials is great if you have them, but not required.

Optional materials:

• masking tape, coloured masking tape or washi tape (or sellotape)
• craft knife, cutting mat and safety ruler
• bone folder or metal spoon
• ink pads
• stencils
• collage papers
• any other non-smudging art materials

prepped.to is a free website where autistic folks can find sensory information and service instructions before visiting a new place.

Where does this info come from? Other autistic users!
That’s why prepped.to needs autistic folks to upload info that would be useful for others to prepare before going to different locations.
The info can be as simple as name, address, coordinates and a couple of sentences, and as complex as a sound sample, images and a video tour. It's up to you and your spoons!

In this workshop we will see the website and form, and then each participant can upload information about a location they know.
To prepare for the workshop, you can check out the prepped.to website and https://prepped.to/add-new-location and think about a place you'd like to upload.
If you want, you can also bring images, videos or sound samples of the location.

This 30-minute presentation introduces the Digital for All curriculum and the accompanying teaching materials developed to support accessible digital education for disabled adults, neurodivergent learners, and the elderly. The session explains the core aims of the curriculum while presuming competence and respecting diverse learning needs.

The presentation will give an overview of the manual and the developed materials highlighting areas such as inclusive group formation, curriculum adaptation, formative assessment focused on real-life digital tasks and standardisation of the recruitment process. It will also address the role of trainers, personal assistants, and assistive technology in creating a supportive, safe and accessible learning environments.

Many autistic people intuitively understand sensory overload, but it can be hard to explain why some environments feel unbearable while others feel fine. This workshop uses music as a shared metaphor to explore sensory experience across sound, light, movement, temperature, and more.

Thinking in terms of volume, contrast, distortion, and balance, participants will reflect on how their environments are “mixed” and where things start to blur or clip. The session includes optional reflection prompts and practical ideas for small, realistic tweaks to everyday spaces, similar to a micro comfort-coaching session. Participation is flexible, and listening quietly is always welcome.

IMPACTsci is an autistic- and neurodivergent-led organisation that works almost entirely online, with a distributed team of neurodivergent professionals. This talk reflects on what it means to work inside an intentionally autistic-first online space, from the perspective of an autistic employee.

The session explores how everyday organisational choices—around communication, pacing, visibility, collaboration, and accountability—shape whether online work supports autistic participation or quietly reproduces neurotypical norms. Rather than presenting a polished model, the talk focuses on lived experience: what worked, what did not, and what had to be redesigned over time.

The aim is to contribute to ongoing conversations about how autistic space can be created and sustained online in professional contexts, and what this makes possible for autistic workers beyond short-term accommodation.