Action on Autism to Expect from the New Administration
Thursday, November 6, 2008
By: Carin Yavorcik

Obama outlines priorities in disability plan

On November 4, the United States of America elected Barack Obama as its 44th president. What will this mean for the autism community?

President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden promoted a comprehensive agenda to empower individuals with disabilities during their campaign.

In addition to reclaiming America's global leadership on this issue by becoming a signatory to—and having the Senate ratify—the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the plan has four parts, designed to provide lifelong supports and resources to Americans with disabilities. They are as follows:

First, provide Americans with disabilities with the educational opportunities they need to succeed. Obama and Biden said they would fight to provide students with disabilities the public education they have a right to, invest in early intervention programs, improve college opportunities and support universal screening of infants.

Second, end discrimination and promote equal opportunity. Obama and Biden plan to restore the Americans with Disabilities Act, reducing workplace and labor market discrimination against people with disabilities.

Third, increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities.

And fourth, support independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities. Obama and Biden want to ensure that people with mental or functional disabilities are placed in community settings when appropriate.

Read more about about Obama’s disability plan and his plan for Supporting Americans with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Both Presidential candidates also wrote to the Autism Society of America and the National Health Council this past July for our town hall meeting on health care. Obama’s statement can be found on ASA’s Vote 4 Autism page.

ASA continues to work with the President-elect on a myriad of issues, most recently drafting language to ensure that individuals with autism receive the treatments they need, promoting effective research into future treatments, and making sure these treatments are appropriately covered by insurance.