This petition will raise awareness for children with autism and their civil rights protection under ADA Federal Law. We are here for stand strong to protest for autism and to fight relentlessly against those who deprive children with a disability, or any disabled individual, of their right to equal treatment and fair accommodations.  

We are petitioning to not only fight for our daughters rights and equal treatment but to fight against discrimination toward anyone with a disability! We should not feel ashamed! 

Recently, we have been isolated and virtuously attacked by our neighbors in protest of our daughters safety being that we installed a front yard fence, and we believe this to be because she has a disability.  As I quote from one of our neighbors; “your daughter should only be allowed to play in the back yard.” While I noticed their children playing on the front yard. Yet, our daughter shouldn’t be allowed? This is disgusting and shows how ashamed they feel to have our family be apart of this neighbored because our daughter is “different” and requires extra accommodations to carry on with the same activities as those children without disabilities.  

We are being childishly alienated and discriminated against by our neighbors. And our neighbors now nearly stalk our home with dirty looks and slow drive-by’s in attempt to bully us in removing our fence for our daughter because they simply choose synchronized aesthetics, excluding the fact that we need this fence for the safety for our daughter. Who to them is “different” and not worth any reasonable accommodation.

As for our personal story, I will start here. Our 4-year-old daughter, Stella, is autistic and specifically falls under the category of spectrum escapism disorder. She is a flight risk at all times and jumps and climbs walls and fences within seconds if they are within reach. She cannot hear us when we call or grab her when she is in this state of stimulated episodes, due to her condition. Not installing a front yard fence would not only become a higher danger when leaving the house, it would take away her reasonable right to safely enjoy the front of our property, as every child should have.  

Unfortunately, for Stella, she will never be able to fully enjoy the “A-typical” childhood activities. Many of our neighbors have children and they are able to allow them to play freely in their front yard, as I have witnessed a multitude of times. Again, unfortunately, that is something we will never be able to let Stella experience without barriers and extra support from her therapists. 

Due to our daughter being autistic, she will always carry escapism spectrum disorder (not only as a toddler or young child), involving idiosyncratic behaviors, and having unpredictable compulsive episodes. That being said, our neighbors should not dictate how we should protect our daughter from her diagnosis, as they have no insight or idea to what we deal with on a daily basis to attempt to give her the enjoyment of a “normal” childhood, like many of our neighbors can effortlessly give their children. Their intrusiveness and harassment over what they believe our daughter needs are unwarranted, unruly, and distasteful.

That being said, Stella is protected under ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Federal Law, under Title II. This states that reasonable accommodations should be held in order for Stella to carry out the same enjoyments as other children her age, without discrimination and harassment. Without a fence encompassing the front of our property, that would not be possible for our autistic daughter to enjoy our property, safely. 

Due to the hostility, multiple false accusations, as well as the harassment from our neighbors questioning and protesting with appeals against equal rights covered under ADA Law, this will force us to take further action with any neighbor who continues to discriminate against Stella’s equal rights, violating the federal law.

We are hoping to gain assistance from the town and this petition to help eliminate the hostility of our neighbors. And while many of our neighbors have expressed their sympathy regarding our delicate situation, I would like to reiterate that their actions speak louder than their words. 

Stella will not be bullied and discriminated against by neighbors that choose synchronized aesthetics over safe and equal accommodations for an autistic child. 

Regards, 

The Bovis Family