Colleen

First, an update. Last Thursday I was honored to be included on the Women’s Author Panel hosted at the Pyramid Club. I sat at the front of the room with 6 additional authors to talk about our books and the messages we want to share. We had a great turnout and afterwards I enjoyed meeting audience members at my book table as well as meeting the other authors. My next event will be a virtual book reading on Saturday, December 7, 2024, for the WILPF Boston branch. Please contact me if you’d like to schedule a virtual or in-person event for your group or organization.

Meet Colleen

I met Colleen Ott within the two short years between Elementary and High School known as Middle School. Then our paths diverged for many years, but somehow with the arrival of Facebook we still remembered each other and connected there. That’s how I learned about Colleen founding a nonprofit called the Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia. That’s also how I learned that Colleen is autistic. Colleen is an advocate for the acceptance of neurodiverse people and for people with any type of disability. She believes that accepting neurodiversity is the key to accepting everyone for who they are.

The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia

Before founding the Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia, Colleen had a store in the city of Lancaster where she sold art that she made herself: photographs, knitting, decoupage, woodworking. It was a co-op shop within a warehouse and Colleen did well there, but she had a vision of creating a safe space for people to learn and create art together. So, Colleen decided to close her shop and started the AACOP in 2022.

The AACOP’s vision includes “promoting and celebrating the Autistic, Neurodivergent, &/or Intellectual disABILITY Artists of the Delaware Valley of Philadelphia.” They offer free classes on a variety of art forms, organize exhibitions for artists of all ages, and create an inclusive environment for artists at any level. Colleen and members of the board taught classes, and they later sought out teachers from the Tacony LAB Community Arts Center where many of their programs are held. The AACOP’s home at the Tacony LAB started as a series of serendipitous meetings between Colleen and PA State Representatives Joseph Hohenstein at a conference they were both attending.

The AACOP also holds free programs at Liberty Resources which include ASL interpreters. Liberty resources is an organization that “advocates for and works with Persons with Disabilities to ensure their civil rights and equal access to all aspects of life.”

Advocacy for Acceptance

What I came to realize from talking to Colleen is that many people still do not understand autism or accept neurodiverse people. Colleen shared stories with me of individuals who were bullied at school, and even at work, because of their neurodiversity. That’s why Colleen also focuses on education about acceptance. She does this by speaking at conferences and speaking with elected officials. Colleen is also involved in recognizing schools and local businesses who are modeling how to support neurodiverse people.

Final Thoughts

Colleen’s work is a combination of direct support and advocacy. As she says, “We’re not there yet,” when it comes to accepting people with neurodiversity and other forms of disability.

Colleen likes to think big. At one point in our conversation she said of an upcoming art exhibition, “Let’s make this bigger than big!” She decided that the Art Exhibition would also be an Expo with vendors, which drew a larger crowd. One of the artists at the AACOP’s Art Exhibition & Expo, JJ Roach of Lancaster County, made a connection that led to a gig doing artwork for the Philadelphia Eagles! The AACOP is more than a safe space for autistic artists, it is also a launchpad.

It really impressed me that Colleen advocates for herself and her community by getting out into the world and talking to people about what is needed. Colleen did not create the AACOP alone; she developed allies and collaborators to create something bigger than maybe even she imagined.