How you can get involved in the Act Now for Autistic Rights campaign
We’ve created a guide to help you take part in our Act Now for Autistic Rights campaign. Share a quote, video, or blog about your experiences and help push for the LDAN Bill to reach Parliament as soon as possible
Lived experience quotes
- How long should this be?
These can be a few sentences, or around 50 words. - What can it be about?
Quotes can be about what barriers you face as an autistic person, or what needs to change and how you would benefit. This can be around in any aspect of your life, like healthcare, education, employment, or in your community. - How would we use it?
These would be shared on our social media accounts as part of our Act Now for Autistic Rights campaign. This would help us highlight why urgent change is needed in a short but impactful way that can stand out. Take a look at this example in an Instagram post
Blog posts
- How long should this be?
These could be between 500-750 words. - What can it be about?
Blogs are an opportunity to share your story, or to highlight a relevant issue you feel particularly strongly about. This can be on the experiences or barriers you encounter in any aspect of your life, like healthcare, education, employment, or in your community. - How would we use it?
Blogs are an opportunity for us to share with a wider audience the perspectives of autistic people as part of our campaign in detail. Take a look an example of a blog from our website.
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1. Think about what you want your blog to communicate
- Jot down your main point
2. Consider your audience
- What do they need to know,
- How will the blog help them or connect with them,
- Aim for clear, accessible language.
3. Choose a strong opening
- Start with a short, engaging introduction that sets the tone of the blog,
- A personal story, question, or key fact can help engage audiences.
4. Develop your main points
- Expand on your ideas in short, clear paragraphs.
5. Keep your message focused
- Stay on topic and avoid unnecessary details,
- Write authentically in your own voice. Let your personality and perspective come through in the blog,
- If you want to, include personal reflections and experiences.
7. Wrap up with a clear conclusion
- Summarise the key message or highlight what you want readers to take away,
- Add a call to action linking back to our Act Now for Autistic Rights campaign,
- For example, you could call on your readers to write to party leaders as part of our e-action
8. Review and edit
- Read through the final version, make final edits, and double check grammar,
- Include any photos or graphics that you’d like to share (it isn’t necessary, but you can add them if you’d like!),
- Save the final version.
10. Share your blog
- You can share the blog on your own socials or send it to us. If you are sharing the blog yourself, remember to tag NAS Scotland (see our social media toolkit for more information),
- If you’d like NAS to publish your blog, send us your completed blog and any images you’d like included,
- We’ll review, format and publish it through the appropriate NAS channels as part of our campaign.
- Jot down your main point
Self-filmed videos
- How long should this be?
This can be under 60 seconds and can be either filmed by yourself or with someone helping to record your video. - What can it be about?
Self-filmed videos are an opportunity for you to speak directly to our audience on the need for change. This can be on the experiences or barriers you encounter in any aspect of your life, like healthcare, education, employment, or in your community. - How would we use this?
We would share this on social media as part of our campaign. This is a way for us to share engaging content on social media using visual storytelling, which can offer a platform for you to be heard and seen.
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1. Plan your message
- Decide on the key points you want to communicate,
- Writing a short script or bullet points can help you with your message,
- Practise your lines if needed so you feel confident.
2. Choose a suitable location
- Pick a calm, uncluttered background if possible,
- If you don’t have a tripod, use a sturdy surface such as a stack of books to keep your phone steady.
3. Position your camera
- Set the camera at eye level,
- Make sure you’re fully in the frame with enough headroom.
4. Find a quiet space
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Reduce background noise as much as possible to ensure clear audio.
5. Set up your phone for social media
- Film vertically (portrait). This is the best format for most social platforms,
- Make sure you’re comfortable and can speak naturally.
6. Check lighting and background
- Face a window or other soft light source for the best results,
- Avoid having a bright window or strong light directly behind you.
7. Record your video
- Review your take and re film if needed. It’s normal to do a few takes!
8. Share your video
- Once you’re happy with your video, please send it to us along with any text you’d like included in the post. We’ll share it on our social media channels as part of the campaign.
Hashtag
Share, connect and engage with our campaign and help us campaign for the LDAN Bill. Join the online conversation and follow what’s happening by tagging your posts with the official hashtag:
- #ActNowForAutisticRights
Social media handles
Make sure you copy in or tag our social media channels so that we can share your posts:
- Instagram: @autisticsocietyscotland
- Facebook: @autismscotland
- LinkedIn: @national-autistic-society-scotland
Interested in getting involved?
If you would like us to post your content to our social media channels and our website as part of the Act Now for Autistic Rights campaign, please email: prmedia.scotland@nas.org.uk