Presidential Document2023-07318
World Autism Awareness Day, 2023
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 5, 2023
Signed
March 31, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 20381-20382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07318]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 20381]]
Proclamation 10549 of March 31, 2023
World Autism Awareness Day, 2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
There is no one way to be autistic--each individual
with autism experiences it differently--but together,
autistic people make industries, communities, and our
Nation stronger. Today, we celebrate the achievements
of neurodiverse people everywhere and champion the
equal rights and dignity of all those living on the
autism spectrum.
Here in the United States, more than 5.4 million adults
are autistic, and 1 in every 44 children has been
diagnosed with autism. Yet this developmental
disability is still misunderstood. Autistic people
continue to face obstacles when seeking employment,
health care, education, and housing, and the immense
contributions of people with autism are often
overlooked. We owe it to our fellow Americans to
address the disparities they face and to support
autistic people with tools that facilitate clearer
communication, increased productivity, and greater
independence.
That is why my Administration is funding cutting-edge
research to enable earlier autism diagnoses and to
develop more resources to help neurodiverse people of
all ages thrive. Recognizing that Autism Spectrum
Disorder is categorized as a disability, my American
Rescue Plan provided $25 billion to States to make it
easier for people with disabilities, including autism,
to receive care at home. We also rolled out new tools
and strategies for partner organizations to connect
disabled Americans with stable housing while helping
them pay rent, fight eviction, and prevent
homelessness.
Last year, I was proud to reauthorize Kevin and
Avonte's Law, which expands training for first
responders and others giving care to people with
autism. And in my recent State of the Union Address, I
called on the Congress to increase its support for
community living for people with disabilities.
My Administration is also boosting employment
opportunities for autistic and other historically
marginalized Americans. I was proud to sign an
Executive Order advancing diversity, equity, inclusion,
and accessibility in the Federal workforce, which will
help create new jobs for Americans with autism and make
space for their voices in the policy-making process.
We are helping State and local governments, employers,
and nonprofits tap Federal funds to hire more Americans
with disabilities like autism through competitive
integrated employment practices. We are cracking down
on employers who discriminate on the basis of
disability, and we are fighting to end the unfair use
of sub-minimum wages. I continue to urge States that
have not yet expanded Medicaid coverage under the
Affordable Care Act to do the right thing and provide
health insurance to those currently locked out of
Medicaid support that would otherwise be available to
them from the Federal Government. Medicaid expansion
would help many Americans with disabilities, including
those with autism.
To support students with autism, the Department of
Education is ensuring that public schools uphold their
obligation to provide free and appropriate public
education in the least restrictive environment to all
students. My Administration has also issued new
guidance to help schools avoid the
[[Page 20382]]
discriminatory use of discipline, which too often
impacts autistic students, whose needs and behaviors
are commonly misunderstood.
As we build a more inclusive, just, and equal Nation,
we aim to lead by the power of our example. I
reestablished the role of Special Advisor on
International Disability Rights at the Department of
State to prioritize disability rights in our policy
discussions with foreign nations. The United States
Agency for International Development is advancing
disability inclusion as part of its democracy, climate,
humanitarian, and peacebuilding activities. And as co-
chair of the Global Action on Disability Network and a
participant in the Global Disability Summit, the United
States continues to promote the equal human rights of
people with disabilities worldwide.
America is founded on the idea that all people are
created equal and deserve to be treated equally
throughout their lives. Today and always, let us strive
to live up to this ideal. Let us embrace our diversity;
empower each other to reach our full potential; and
promote the basic decency, acceptance, and fairness we
know is right.
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 2, 2023,
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
thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
seventh.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-07318
Filed 4-4-23; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 5, 2023.
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