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ASAN January Newsletter
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Dear friend,
Staying focused on advocacy is snow problem this New Year! ASAN is back in the (virtual) office, working on some of the most important issues facing our community this winter and beyond.
We had the opportunity to submit written comments [[link removed]] for the IACC’s public meeting on January 18th. We urged the IACC to continue to support communication access efforts, promote full compliance with the HCBS Settings Rule [[link removed]] , and follow up with the FDA on banning the use of electric shock for behavior modification. This #StopTheShock step comes after the omnibus spending bill, passed in late 2022, authorized the FDA to ban the device. Now the FDA must go through the full rule-making process again, which we urge them to do immediately and efficiently. [[link removed]]
Our policy analyst AJ Link joined the Leadership Conference Education Fund to speak about urgent education priorities for 2023 [[link removed]] . AJ pointed out the need to remove police from schools in order to actually keep students safe. You can watch or listen to the call here. [[link removed]]
The time to honor those we’ve lost is fast approaching. On Wednesday, March 1st, the disability community will gather virtually and across the nation to remember these disabled victims of filicide – disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers. 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 [[link removed]] to host vigils in their communities around the world, whether virtual or in-person. If you’re interested, sign up to be a Day of Mourning vigil site coordinator here. [[link removed]] Please only hold vigils in-person if it is safe to do so – for example, outdoors and masked. To learn more about Day of Mourning, see our Anti-Filicide Toolkit. [[link removed]]
There are more ways you can get involved with ASAN this year. Applications are open for the 2023 Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) Leadership Academy! The ACI summer leadership training [[link removed]] 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 10th through 19th. This year’s program will be held in person, if it is safe to do so. If we cannot have ACI in person, we will hold it virtually. Download your application today! [[link removed]]
As we approach the end of winter, we’re facing challenges with renewed hope. Our work to combat discrimination and commemorate the lives of those we have lost reminds us how far we have to go -- but we aren’t fighting these battles alone. Let’s continue working to ensure a better world for our community, together.
In solidarity,
The Team at ASAN
New year, same policy priorities! This month, we:
* Endorsed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which aims to combat gun violence and help equip schools with the resources necessary to keep schools safe.
* Signed on to the American Association on Health and Disability’s Endorsement and Inclusion statement as part of the All Of Us project [aahd.us/inclusion-for-all-of-us/statement/] , a program to improve health research by increasing inclusion of people with disabilities
* Prepared for changes to the HCBS Settings Rule [[link removed]] coming March 17th
* Joined the Leadership Conference's Fair Housing and Lending Press Release on the proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule released in late January
We are also now a member of the U.S. Alliance of Women, Nonbinary Persons, and Other Gender Minorities with Disabilities! [[link removed]]

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ASAN Comments for January IACC Meeting [[link removed]]
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Civil Rights Community Details Education Landscape in 2023 [[link removed]]
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Sign up to be a Day of Mourning Vigil Coordinator [[link removed]]
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ACI 2023 Applications Now Open! [[link removed]]
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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