⛄ASAN January Update ⛄

January 31, 2024

ASAN January Newsletter

Dear friend,

The new year may just be getting started, but we’ve been hard at work! Check out what we’ve been up to this month.

You can start the year by sharing your voice and making your thoughts on autism research heard! You can submit your public comments to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) about autism research by February 14. This round of comments is specifically about priorities related to physical and mental health conditions that commonly co-occur with autism. Submitting public comments is an important way for self-advocates to make our needs and priorities known when it comes to public policy. Research priorities should reflect what the autistic community needs. You can also read our comments for the January 24th meeting here.

We’re looking for an experienced autistic leader who embraces and embodies ASAN’s mission to join us as Executive Director! This is an exciting role that includes partnerships with other leaders of national disability and civil rights organizations in advocating for disability rights, neurodiversity, and the values of inclusion and self-determination. The new Executive Director will partner closely with the Board of Trustees to continue ASAN’s work while charting ASAN’s future growth and strategic responses to a dynamic and ever-growing autistic self-advocacy movement. For more information on salary and benefits, a breakdown of responsibilities, and how to apply see the posting here.

We need your help to make sure those we’ve lost to filicide are recognized. On Friday, March 1st, the disability community will gather to remember disabled victims of filicide – please consider signing up to be a vigil site coordinator. Since 2012, ASAN and other disability rights organizations have come together to send a clear message that disability is not a justification for violence. We’re looking for a dedicated group of vigil site coordinators interested in hosting vigils for your communities around the world. To learn more about Day of Mourning, see our Anti-Filicide Toolkit.

Applications are open for the 2024 Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) Leadership Academy! The ACI summer leadership training prepares autistic students to engage in disability advocacy on their college campuses. ACI participants learn about making student groups, understanding disability policy, and talking to people in power. After the Academy, students get help from ASAN to meet their advocacy goals at their college. This year’s program will be held from July 15th through 24th, 2024. This year’s ACI program will be held virtually. Due to the ongoing pandemic, we have held ACI virtually since 2020. You can apply by Sunday, March 3rd, 2024 — download your application today!

Are you a runner, or know someone who is? Do you want to raise money for ASAN by running in a race? ASAN is excited to introduce our Endurance Running Fundraising Program where you can do just that! As part of this program, ASAN is excited to announce that we are an official charity partner for the 2024 Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris. Learn more about special perks and application requirements for the 2024 Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris here and learn about how to fundraise for all the other upcoming races here.

The disability community has been working to #StopTheShock at the JRC for over 10 years! Congress told the FDA they have the power to ban electric skin shock devices in 2022, but we’re still waiting for the FDA to release a proposed ban for public comment. There is no reason for further delay. As soon as the proposed rule comes out, we need everyone to write a public comment urging the FDA to ban electric skin shock devices. Stay tuned for more information on how to write and submit your comment once the proposed rule is released!

We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us in 2024 to combat discrimination, make sure our community’s voices are prioritized, and commemorate the lives of those we have lost. If this first month is any indication, we know we can count on your support when it matters the most! Let’s continue working to ensure a better world for our community, together.

Sincerely,

The Team at ASAN

In 2018, ASAN condemned a rule that boosted the rights of medical workers to refuse to perform services that conflicted with their religious or moral beliefs, including abortions, contraception, gender-affirming care and sterilization. We commented on the proposed recission of the rule in 2022, and we celebrate the final rule which rescinds the policy.
We urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to release a proposed ban on the use of electric skin shock devices to treat a person’s self-injurious or aggressive behavior
ASAN signed on to letter asking HHS to amend the definition of “custody” in Medicaid to align with Medicaid and ACA marketplace definitions, and allow more people returning from incarceration to access health insurance
As part of the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Education Task Force, we signed onto comments offering recommendations regarding the Head Start Program Performance Standards
Joined the CCD Social Security Task Force on a transition memo congratulating Commissioner O’Malley on confirmation as the Commissioner of Social Security
We opposed HR 6918, which attempts to restrict and stigmatize abortion care by blocking a proposed rule that would strengthen the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and prevent the misuse of TANF funds for anti-abortion centers.