Dear Chairman Mica and Ranking Member Connolly:
On behalf of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the nation’s leading advocacy organization run by and for autistic people, I write to express concern about the upcoming May 20th, 2014 Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing entitled “Examining the Federal Response to Autism Spectrum Disorders.” To our knowledge, no autistic witnesses or representatives from organizations run by Autistic people have been invited to testify. ASAN is profoundly concerned by the apparent absence of representatives from organizations run by autistic people and urges that the hearing not go forward without representation by those most directly impacted by federal autism policy.
Autistic individuals are uniquely suited to testify about which federal activities are most needed in order to improve our own lives. Accordingly, when the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform proposed a hearing on autism in November 2012, ASAN and other disability rights organizations voiced strong opposition to the planned absence of witnesses from organizations run by autistic people at that hearing and was pleased when the organizers of that hearing responded by inviting two autistic witnesses representing organizations run by autistic people to testify. The presence of autistic voices at the November 2012 hearing helped to enrich the conversation about the federal government’s response to autism.
We are disappointed by the prospect that, to our knowledge, the Committee has not invited Autistic witnesses from organizations run by autistic people to the upcoming hearing. It would truly be unfortunate if the progress Congress made in 2012 were reversed in 2014. ASAN appreciates the Subcommittee’s interest in federal autism policy and urges it to ensure the inclusion of witnesses from organizations run by and for autistic adults in its witness list. We stand ready to assist the Subcommittee in its efforts. If we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact us via ASAN’s Director of Public Policy, Samantha Crane, at scrane@autisticadvocacy.org.
Sincerely,
Ari Ne’eman
President
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
cc: Chairman Darrell E. Issa
cc: Ranking Member Elijah Cummings