Speech Bias Harms, Undermines Democracy

At first glance, the challenges autistic people face with speech and the misinformation crisis threatening American democracy may seem worlds apart. Yet, both stem from the same deep-rooted cultural bias: an insistence on speech as the only legitimate mode of communication. This bias excludes, silences, and harms those who communicate differently, but it also leaves society vulnerable to manipulation, polarization, and the breakdown of meaningful dialogue.