I was lucky enough to be involved in the Moonshot Vision from very early on, thanks to being seconded to the project team! 

As someone who has a longstanding love affair with space and physics (it’s one of three main autistic joys in my life) I was immediately captivated by the name “Moonshot” and the brilliant metaphor behind it. The concept struck something deep inside of me and gave me a much-needed focus for all the feelings of frustration and helplessness I was experiencing over how badly society currently fails lots of autistic people.

I got to play an integral part in the project right from the initial insight phase; advising how to make the various processes as accessible as possible, as well as being tasked with bringing all the different ‘voices’ needed into the virtual room with us. I was also given the honour of writing the paper that went to our Board of Trustees at the end of the project, the contents of which formed the first draft of the Moonshot Vision report, along with being one of the team that has presented the project on various different stages – both metaphorical and real!

Seeing the way the “Vision to Reality” strategy lays out achievable foundations for us as a charity to start that journey towards Moonshot gives me hope for a brighter future. A future where I could be watching an autistic Prime Minister at the despatch box, or listening to my sister-in-law talk about all the wonderful adjustments made for her children by their school without the need for any begging or pleading. A future where I’m not working every day to try to make society better for autistic people, but instead a time when I’m just one of the thousands of autistic people who are collectively holding society to account so it stays accessible, inclusive, and supportive to all people.

The three beliefs outlined in the strategy focus the core elements of my work on the Moonshot project into a feasible path to that vision. I can clearly see the roles I can play in making those ambitions a reality, and already have a million and one ideas in my head about who I want to bring on board with my work and which steps to take first!

Because at the heart of this strategy is a crucial message - no one person can alter society on their own. We need to work together to unify the huge amount of autistic talent, influence and passion that already exists and maximise that autistic power to demand more than just tokenistic adjustments and lip-service, to achieve genuine sustainable change across all of society.

The status quo of current society is the gravity keeping us on the ground, but now we have our flight path strategy and we’re building our rocket, it’s time to ask – are you ready to be part of the fuel that powers us to the Moon?

Helen Ellis is Project Officer – Autistic Employee Experience at the National Autistic Society