"It was a hot and humid day, and as the sun beat down on the van, its interior warmed and warmed. Anderson, who had autism, was cooked alive. It was only about 85 degrees outside, but according to Stanford University researchers, the temperature inside a parked vehicle quickly exceeds that of the air outside: Within 60 minutes, a car's interior can measure more than 130 degrees on an 85-degree day."
"Those like Bodack and myself who are nonspeaking autistics are especially vulnerable in such situations, because we cannot easily advocate for ourselves. Not only can we not cry out for help; most of us lack the fine motor skills to undo seatbelts or unlock car doors. Anderson and Bodack surely were aware of the terrible fate that awaited, but their bodies made it impossible for them to escape or to alert others."
Thomas Anderson, 26, died after being left unattended in a van for almost eight hours outside a facility for disabled individuals, succumbing to extreme heat. Vehicle interiors can exceed outdoor temperatures rapidly; on an 85-degree day a car's interior can surpass 130 degrees within 60 minutes. About a year earlier, Robert Bodack, a nonspeaking autistic man, died after being left for hours in a transport vehicle. Nonspeaking autistics face heightened risk because many cannot easily advocate for themselves or operate restraints and doors. Societal failure to recognize their full humanity contributes to such mistreatment and neglect.
Read at The Nation
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