Be a part of Autscape!
The Autscape Board invites autistic people and our friends and allies to join and support us in the planning and running of our “autistic conference”. There are various ways of taking part, to varying degrees.
The Autscape Organisation is highly e-mail based, so getting involved will necessitate joining one or more mailing lists. Once you’ve joined a particular list, feel free to jump right in and help out. (Only the monthly board meetings, which members of the organisation are invited to observe, are done in a live IRC channel.)
Not all the groups listed below are always active. For some it’s natural to only be active during certain times of the year. Others may simply have a lack of manpower or the members may need a prod. This may mean we need your help to make it active again, so don’t hesitate to go right ahead, ask questions, make proposals, offer to do things, etc.
This page was last updated on 23-Jan-2015.
Autscape Plan list
(level of commitment: low)
You can join the Autscape Plan mailing list, a discussion list specifically for planning the next conference and any other Autscape events we may organise. You will receive emails but you do not need to get involved unless you feel you want to.
Most concrete planning activity has now been concentrated in specific working groups and subcommittees (see below) so the Plan list gets mostly planning and evaluation discussions of a general nature. Sometimes we may send a request for help through the Plan list. It is fairly low volume. If you care about making Autscape happen, you should join this list.
For joining information see “How to join a list”, below.
Working groups
(level of commitment: medium)
You can join a working group. These are informal mailing lists set up for coordinating specific tasks. We currently have three working groups:
- Newsletter. This working group makes a newsletter which is distributed to members of Autscape.
- Tech. This working group is for coordinating the technical and technological requirements for Autscape, such as internet access, projectors, and other IT matters, as well as audiovisual equipment. Also, testing and documenting the registration/booking system and any other new or changed systems.
Subcommittees
(level of commitment: medium)
You can also join a subcommittee. These mailing lists are much like working groups. The main difference is that each subcommittee is chaired by a member of the board, and reports to the board. A subcommittee can make proposals for the board to approve. The board can also delegate the power to make certain decisions to a subcommittee (and often does).
You can join as many subcommittees (or working groups) as you want and and you don’t need to remain if you feel they are not for you. There is a place for anyone who wants to help whether or not they have specific skills or interests.
Autscape currently has the following subcommittees:
- Programme (Chair: Kalen). Planning and scheduling the main conference programme of presentations, formal workshops, hands-on workshops, leisure and entertainment; sending out the Call for Proposals, discussing and evaluating incoming proposals, contacting potential presenters, having the Board of Directors rate proposals, making a selection of the highest-rated proposals and submitting it to the board for approval, and creating the programme guide and schedule. Also, planning the Entertainment Evening and Sparklies in the Dark, setting up the Sensory Room, as well as coordinating Home Groups and Interest Groups (if we decide to have them this year).
- Publications and Publicity (Chair: Martijn). Drafting Autscape adverts for AS related magazines, email lists and online forums. Creating the brochure, the Participant Information Pack and feedback forms for Autscape. Maintenance of general website content (excluding policies).
For joining information see How to join a list below.
Join the Board of Directors
(level of commitment: high)
Members of the board are also known as directors or trustees, and are elected yearly by the membership to three-year terms at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the end of the Autscape conference.
You have to be a member of Autscape to be eligible to run for the board. You can either be nominated as a candidate by another Autscape member or you can nominate yourself. Every nomination also has to be seconded by another Autscape member.
To run for the Board of Directors, submit a nomination while the yearly Call for Nominations is open.
How to join a list
To join a list, go to the mailing lists page. There you will see a table of the lists you can join.
- To subscribe to any list, select the Subscribe link under Actions and follow the instructions shown on the next screen.
- To unsubscribe from any list, click on the appropriate Unsubscribe link under Actions and follow the instructions shown on the next screen.
Most lists have an online archive on this website that is accessible to its members. After joining a list, reading the list archive is a good way to get an initial feel for how a group operates.
If you experience any difficulties subscribing or any other list difficulties, please contact us.
And finally…
Remember, all contributions are welcome and tasks can vary tremendously. There is no obligation, so you can do as much or as little as you feel able. Do not be put off by your own perceived lack of experience or ability. You may well realise you have an ability others lack – our skills often complement each others’.