Why We Exist

By: Cortland Nesley

NeuroTales is built on the mantra of “Nothing About Us Without Us.” The phrase permeated the disability rights movement during the 1990s in the wake of Disabled self-advocates getting the Americans with Disabilities Act passed. The phrase speaks to the need for Disabled people to be in charge of what affects them. It invokes a community based approach where an “expert” based one had previously failed. NeuroTales pulls from this same principle, seeking to put the power of Neurodivergent and Mad storytelling where it belongs, in the hands of Neurodivergent and Mad people. 

The highlighting of stories written by Neurodivergent and Mad folk affects how an entire culture perceives their communities. These stories make people challenge their assumptions and consider the reality of Neurodivergent and Mad existence. Neurotypical writers that don’t consider this responsibility will inevitably regurgitate ableist myths and reinforce stigmatizing narratives. As an Autistic kid, I consumed narratives which depicted Autistic characters as inhuman. They were characters who lacked intrinsic worth until they showed that their “quirks” were useful – quirks that were caricaturizations of pathologized behaviors. I internalized what I saw. I thought I had to be the smart one whose brain acted like a supercomputer, that I couldn’t foster vulnerabilities or lead with my heart. 

The greatest danger that sanist stories present is the way they dehumanize the subjects they examine and limit our imaginations of who Neurodivergent and Mad people can be. Why is it that so many people fear violence from “Schizophrenic” and “Bipolar” folk, even though people labeled that way are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence? Being bombarded with narratives where Disabled people can “snap” and turn violent at a moment’s notice likely contribute to this assumption. How many Neurodivergent and Mad characters exist solely to invoke feelings of guilt, sympathy, pity, or fear in an audience? How many are reduced to a series of pathologized behavioral tropes? Madness is not a metaphor, but a lived existence. Narratives that deny this fact deny the humanity of those whose lives they commodify. 

NeuroTales believes that those who encounter writings from Neurodivergent and Mad people, which are writings built on lived experiences, will develop a deeper understanding of Disabled lives. We seek to take tangible steps to make that happen. We will create spaces where Neurodivergent and Mad writers can refine their work together, making use of our collective knowledge. We will welcome new writers and help them develop into the best storytellers they can be. We will advocate for each other's work, with the belief that doing so will expand our culture's perception of Neurodiversity and Madness for the better.

Stories have the power to dismantle sanist structures and reinforce the principles of “Nothing About Us Without Us,” that Neurodivergent and Mad folk are not only capable of but are uniquely qualified to control their own destinies. Neurodivergent and Mad art – like all other art– need attention, support, and community to grow. I founded NeuroTales because I know there are powerful Neurodivergent and Mad stories to be written; we just need to foster them.

Thank you

While building this site, I’ve been fortunate enough to have some brilliant people to help me along the way. They gave great advice, created amazing logos, and asked all the right questions. Without their help, this site would not be what it is, and neither would NeuroTales.

Taylor Beidler – Creative Consultant

Bo Krucik – Logo Designs

Annalise Cain

Bennett Nesley

Giverny Petitmermet

Devon Beidler

Maureen and Terence Verwey