[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 6, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19781-19782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07447]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 66 / Wednesday, April 6, 2022 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 19781]]
Proclamation 10364 of April 1, 2022
World Autism Awareness Day, 2022
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On World Autism Awareness Day, we reaffirm our
commitment to ensuring that the more than 5 million
Americans who live with autism are able to make the
most of their talents and participate fully in our
society, and we celebrate the contributions autistic
Americans have made to our families, our communities,
our Nation, and the world.
We have made significant progress in improving access
to opportunity for people with developmental
disabilities in recent years. However, many autistic
individuals still experience gaps in employment and
income. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these
inequities, creating unique challenges and strains for
people with autism and their families.
That is why my Administration is committed to
addressing the systemic barriers people with autism
face in their daily lives. The pandemic upended school
routines for children and students living with
disabilities. That is why the Department of Education
is working tirelessly to accelerate pandemic recovery
for special education programs. In addition, the
Department of Health and Human Services and the
Department of Housing and Urban Development are
committed to ensuring individuals with disabilities
have access to affordable housing as we come through
this pandemic.
In order to improve quality of life for people with
autism and their families in every community, my
Administration is committed to funding cutting-edge
research to help us better understand, diagnose, and
treat autism, including funding research at the
National Institutes of Health and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention that seeks to better
understand the underlying mechanisms of autism from
childhood through early adulthood, improve methods of
early identification and diagnosis, and develop
innovations in the delivery of interventions and
services.
My Administration remains committed to reducing
barriers in access to early diagnoses, interventions,
and services for people with autism--regardless of
race, gender, ethnicity, culture, or geography--and to
incorporating the lived experiences of individuals with
autism into their research. Last June, when I signed
the Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,
and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce, I promised
to cultivate a Federal workforce that draws from the
full diversity of the Nation. One of the ways we are
delivering on that promise is through a partnership
between the Department of Labor and the Administration
for Community Living, which is expanding access to
competitive, integrated employment opportunities for
people with disabilities, including autism.
In addition, my Administration will continue to build
on the work done by the Interagency Autism Coordinating
Committee, the National Autism Coordinator, and others
to make certain that autistic Americans have access to
the care, services, and support they need, so they can
pursue their educational, career, and life interests
without discrimination.
Today and every day, we honor autistic people and
celebrate the meaningful and measureless ways they
contribute to our Nation. We applaud the millions of
educators, advocates, family members, caregivers, and
others who support
[[Page 19782]]
them. As we continue to build a better America, we
reaffirm our promise to provide Americans with autism
the support they need to live independently, fully
participate in their communities, and lead fulfilling
lives of dignity 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 2, 2022,
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-two, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2022-07447
Filed 4-5-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P