[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 7, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 17893-17894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07238]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 7, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 17893]]

                Proclamation 10172 of April 1, 2021

                
World Autism Awareness Day, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On World Autism Awareness Day, we celebrate the 
                countless ways that people with autism contribute to 
                our families, our communities, our Nation, and the 
                world, and we shine a light on the systemic barriers 
                people with autism face in their daily lives.

                More than 2 percent of American adults and 1 in every 
                54 of our children have autism--a community of millions 
                who deserve to live full lives of dignity and respect. 
                My Administration is committed to funding cutting-edge 
                research to help us to better understand autism and 
                related health conditions in order to improve quality 
                of life for people with autism and their families in 
                every community.

                Recent Government initiatives have focused on detecting 
                autism in the first year of life, funding new national 
                research networks to improve our knowledge of autism, 
                and advancing services and support to help Americans 
                with autism live independently in their communities. A 
                recent apprenticeship initiative from the Department of 
                Labor seeks to open up career pathways for people with 
                autism and other developmental disabilities in thriving 
                fields like information technology and health care. 
                Investments like these and others that we continue to 
                pursue are critical to expanding possibilities and 
                improving life for all people with autism.

                Meanwhile, agencies across the Federal Government are 
                working to protect the rights of all people with 
                disabilities--including people with autism--while also 
                advancing equity when it comes to accessing vital 
                services and supports. Our research agencies are 
                working to reduce barriers in access to early 
                diagnoses, interventions, and services for people with 
                autism--including those from diverse racial, ethnic, 
                and cultural backgrounds and rural communities--and to 
                incorporate the perspectives of individuals with autism 
                in scientific research. For too long, disparities in 
                access to health care, education, and services have 
                placed an undue burden on individuals with disabilities 
                and their loved ones, particularly those from 
                underserved communities. My Administration is committed 
                to addressing these inequities in partnership with the 
                Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and the 
                National Autism Coordinator of the Department of Health 
                and Human Services.

                We also recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused 
                unique disruptions to, and placed new strains on, the 
                lives of individuals with autism and their families. 
                All Americans should be grateful for the creativity and 
                dedication of educators, health care providers, and 
                others who have rapidly adapted to the limitations of 
                the pandemic by offering virtual learning, telehealth 
                appointments, and other remote services. My 
                Administration is working tirelessly to get America 
                vaccinated, get our children safely back in school, and 
                deliver direct economic relief to families across the 
                country in order to end this year of disruption and 
                alleviate as much of the burden as possible. In 
                addition, agencies including the Centers for Disease 
                Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of 
                Health, and the Department of Education are hard at 
                work developing data-driven guidance to help people

[[Page 17894]]

                with disabilities and their families mitigate the far-
                reaching effects of the pandemic.

                Today, we honor those with autism and recommit 
                ourselves to providing them and their families with the 
                investment, support, and care they need to live 
                independently, fully participate in their communities, 
                and live fulfilling lives of dignity and opportunity.

                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, 2021, 
                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-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-07238
Filed 4-6-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P