Making Policy the Right Way

Although President-elect Barack Obama has not yet taken office, he already has begun to make good on his campaign promises to consider a wide variety of viewpoints and to empower people with disabilities. The Obama transition team's disability coordinator, Kareem Dale, met last Friday with six advocacy organizations, including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, to discuss autism policy issues. The new administration is seeking to identify high-priority issues within the autism community.

As our new president prepares to take office in these difficult times, with so many urgent matters that require his attention, it is heartening to see that he recognizes the importance of consulting with autistic self-advocates as essential stakeholders in the development of policy on autism-related issues.