69. Animation for All Abilities, with Dani Bowman

Discover what’s possible when inclusion is animated. 

Dani Bowman is an autism self-advocate, animator, illustrator, teacher, and public speaker from California. Dani founded her company, DaniMation Entertainment LLC, at age 11, and has worked professionally in the animation industry since age 14. Her company has produced nine award-winning animated shorts, a PSA for Autism Society of America, and a music video that premiered at San Diego Comic-Con. DaniMation Entertainment has also illustrated six children’s books and numerous commercial works. Dani teaches animation to teens and young adults with autism and other disabilities at summer camps around the world, in-person and online. 

As part of her advocacy work, Dani speaks at autism and neurodiversity conferences about inclusion in the workforce. She has been a keynote speaker at events such as OCALICON (by the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence) in Columbus, OH, the Oklahoma Statewide Autism Conference, Temple Grandin and Friends in Los Angeles, CA, and the Alaska Autism Resource Center Speaker Series (AARC), among others. 

In today’s conversation, we discuss:

• How autism affects Dani’s everyday life
• What she loves about her autism
• Some of the ways in which she feels misunderstood
• What inspires her as an animator 
• DaniAcademy workshops and camps
• The skills needed to succeed as an animator
• Advice for other autistics entering the animation industry 

To learn more about Dani Bowman and her work, please visit danibowman.com. 

Are you a self-advocate willing to share your experiences and educate others? Are you a professional seeking to hear directly from autistic voices and improve your practice? Are you a family member hoping to support and empower your loved one? Whatever your role related to autism is, you can join our Global Autism Community to connect and collaborate with people all over the world. 

Sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org. Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism. 

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