[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]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 66 / Thursday, April 4, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 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 2, 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