World Autism Awareness Day, 2024
| Published date | 04 April 2024 |
| Record Number | 2024-07284 |
| Citation | 89 FR 23497 |
| Court | Executive Office Of The President |
| Section | Presidential Documents |
Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 66 (Thursday, April 4, 2024)
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 66 (Thursday, April 4, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 23497-23498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07284] Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 66 / Thursday, April 4, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 23497]]
Proclamation 10725 of April 1, 2024
World Autism Awareness Day, 2024
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
America was founded on the idea that all people are
created equal and deserve to be treated equally
throughout their lives. Today, we champion the equal
rights and dignity of the millions of Americans on the
autism spectrum, and we celebrate the immense
contributions of all neurodiverse people, whose
perspectives and experiences make America a richer
Nation.
Some 5.4 million American adults and 1 in 36 children
have been diagnosed with autism. Their experiences with
the condition vary widely, but their talents and
potential are too often misunderstood or overlooked.
Autistic people routinely face unnecessary obstacles to
securing employment and health care and children face
bullying and barriers to education. We can work to end
these disparities and ensure they have an equal
opportunity to reach their dreams by making sure that
people with autism and those who support them have the
resources and tools they need to communicate, grow,
work, and achieve greater independence.
Early diagnosis can make a big difference, which is why
my Administration is funding groundbreaking research to
boost access to diagnoses and services that can help
autistic people of all ages thrive. The Department of
Education and the Department of Health and Human
Services are also working to ensure that young children
with disabilities, including autism, have access to
high-quality, inclusive early childhood programs so
that they can thrive as well as helping schools
leverage Medicaid to deliver critical health care
services. Further, my Administration released guidance
on how schools can obtain, use, and support assistive
technology devices that are essential to the success of
some people with disabilities. Meanwhile, the
Department of Education is helping public schools avoid
discriminatory discipline for autistic students, whose
needs can be misunderstood, while also working to get
students with autism and their teachers the resources
they need to thrive. We are working to boost
understanding among community members who can help keep
people with autism safe--I was proud to sign a
reauthorization of Kevin and Avonte's Law, expanding
training for first responders and caregivers.
My Administration is also making it easier for all
Americans to get the health care they need. We
protected and strengthened the Affordable Care Act and
Medicaid, expanding health care coverage to millions of
Americans. At the same time, we lowered health
insurance premiums by $800 per year for millions of
Americans. Through the American Rescue Plan, we
provided $37 billion to make it easier for people with
disabilities, including autism, to receive the services
they need at home and stay active in their communities.
My Budget requests another $150 billion over the next
decade to further expand and improve these life-
changing services.
We owe everyone in this country a fair shot at the
American Dream, so we are also working to increase job
opportunities for autistic and other historically
marginalized Americans who have been shut out for too
long. My Administration is providing State and local
governments, private companies, and nonprofits with
Federal funding to hire more Americans with
disabilities, including those with autism. I signed an
Executive Order to
[[Page 23498]]
make the Federal workforce more inclusive, and I
eliminated the unjust use of sub-minimum wages for
people with disabilities by Federal contractors,
working to ensure every American has equal protection
under the law.
Globally, we are advancing disability rights as part of
our work to promote democracy, prosperity, and
inclusion. We are prioritizing disability rights in
policy discussions with other nations, and we are
working through the United States Agency for
International Development and as co-chair of the Global
Action on Disability Network to stand for the dignity
and equal rights of people with disabilities worldwide.
Diversity in all its forms is one of America's greatest
strengths. Today, we recommit to making the promise of
America real for every American on the autism spectrum,
upholding our most basic values of decency, fairness,
and respect.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2024,
as World Autism Awareness Day. I call upon all
Americans to learn more about autism to improve early
diagnosis, to learn more about the experiences of
autistic people from autistic people, and to build more
welcoming and inclusive communities to support people
with autism.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-07284
Filed 4-3-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
