Archive for November, 2012
ASAN President Ari Ne’eman on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
Tomorrow at 9:15 AM
Yesterday was a historic day for the Autistic self-advocacy movement. For the first time, we had representation at a congressional hearing on autism. Although much of yesterday’s House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs hearing focused on the same tired old questions on causation and cure, but thanks to your efforts, we had a seat at the table to offer another perspective for the first time.
Tomorrow, we’ll have a chance to continue having our voices heard. C-SPAN’s influential morning call-in program Washington Journal has invited ASAN President Ari Ne’eman to come on the show tomorrow morning from 9:15-10 AM to discuss federal disability policy, autism acceptance and the neurodiversity movement. And we want you to be a part of it.
To participate, you can call-in, email or tweet. C-SPAN has specifically urged Autistic people to participate, and has provided a dedicated call in line to help make sure we get on the air.
Call-In Numbers:Â Â
Democrats: (202) 585-3880 Â
Republicans: (202) 585-3881 Â
Independents: (202) 585-3882 Â
Autistic People: (202) 585-3883Â
Email: journal@c-span.orgÂ
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cspanwjÂ
Please follow us as we also livetweet from @autselfadvocacy with hashtag #AutismOnCSPAN.
You’ve probably heard from us before about the importance of the CRPD in affirming the rights of people with disabilities, both here and around the world. Today it is finally headed to the Senate.Â
Join us in letting our Senators know the disability community supports the ratification of the CRPD!
Tweet your Senators with the hashtag “#UNCRPD” voicing your support. You can find your Senator’s twitter handle here, or by scrolling to the end of this email.
Sample tweet: “@[Senator’s username] I support the ratification of the #UNCRPD! Will you support it with me?”
You can also choose to call both of your Senators. Their contact information can be found on the Senate website.
Let them know why it is so important that this ratification passes! For more information about the CRPD and why it is so important, please visit the USICD website.
Remember:Â Nothing About Us, Without Us!
Twitter handles for the Senators of all 50 states:
Sen. Jeff Sessions   Alabama   @SenSessions
Sen. Richard Shelby   Alabama   @SenShelbyPress
Sen. Mark Begich   Alaska   @SenatorBegich
Sen. Lisa Murkowski   Alaska   @LisaMurkowski
Sen. Jon Kyl   Arizona   @SenJonKyl
Sen. John McCain   Arizona   @SenJohnMcCain
Sen. John Boozman   Arkansas   @JohnBoozman
Sen. Mark Pryor   Arkansas   @SenMarkPryor
Sen. Barbara Boxer   California   @SenatorBoxer
Sen. Dianne Feinstein   California   @SenFeinstein
Sen. Michael Bennet   Colorado   @SenBennetCO
Sen. Mark Udall   Colorado   @MarkUdall
Sen. Richard Blumenthal   Connecticut   @SenBlumenthal
Sen. Joe Lieberman   Connecticut   @JoeLieberman
Sen. Thomas Carper   Deleware   @SenatorCarper
Sen. Chris Coons   Deleware   @ChrisCoons
Sen. Bill Nelson   Florida   @SenBillNelson
Sen. Marco Rubio   Florida   @MarcoRubio
Sen. Saxby Chambliss   Georgia   @SaxbyChambliss
Sen. Johnny Isakson   Georgia   @SenIsakson
Sen. Daniel Akaka   Hawaii   @SenAkaka
Sen. Daniel Inouye   Hawaii   @Daniel_Inouye
Sen. Mike Crapo   Idaho   @MikeCrapo
Sen. James Risch   Idaho   N/A
Sen. Richard Durbin   Illinois   @SenatorDurbin
Sen. Mark Kirk   Illinois   @SenatorKirk
Sen. Dan Coats   Indiana   @SenDanCoats
Sen. Richard ‘Dick’ Lugar   Indiana   @SenLugar
Sen. Chuck Grassley   Iowa   @ChuckGrassley
Sen. Tom Harkin   Iowa   @SenatorHarkin
Sen. Jerry Moran   Kansas   @JerryMoran
Sen. Pat Roberts   Kansas   @SenPatRoberts
Sen. Mitch McConnell   Kentucky   @McConnellPress
Sen. Rand Paul   Kentucky   @SenRandPaul
Sen. Mary Landrieu   Louisiana   @SenLandrieu
Sen. David Vitter   Louisiana   @DavidVitter
Sen. Susan Collins   Maine   @SenatorCollins
Sen. Olympia Snowe   Maine   @SenatorSnowe
Sen. Benjamin Cardin   Maryland   @SenatorCardin
Sen. Barbara Mikulski   Maryland   @SenatorBarb
Sen. Scott Brown   Massacheusetts   @USSenScottBrown
Sen. John Kerry   Massacheusetts   @JohnKerry
Sen. Carl Levin   Michigan   @SenCarlLevin
Sen. Debbie Stabenow   Michigan   @StabenowPress or @Stabenow
Sen. Al Franken   Minnesota   @AlFranken
Sen. Amy Klobuchar   Minnesota   @AmyKlobuchar
Sen. Thad Cochran   Mississippi   @SenThadCochran
Sen. Roger Wicker   Mississippi   @SenatorWicker
Sen. Roy Blunt   Missouri   @RoyBlunt
Sen. Claire McCaskill   Missouri   @McCaskillOffice
Sen. Max Baucas   Montana   @MaxBaucus
Sen. John Tester   Montana   @JonTester
Sen. Mike Johanns   Nebraska   @Mike_Johanns
Sen. Ben Nelson   Nebraska  @SenBenNelson
Sen. Dean Heller   Nevada   @SenDeanHeller
Sen. Harry Reid   Nevada   @SenatorReid
Sen. Kelly Ayotte   New Hampshire   @KellyAyotte
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen   New Hampshire   @SenatorShaheen
Sen. Frank Lautenberg   New Jersey   @FrankLautenberg
Sen. Robert Menendez   New Jersey   @SenatorMenendez
Sen. Jeff Bingaman   New Mexico   N/A
Sen. Tom Udall   New Mexico   @SenatorTomUdall
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand   New York   @SenGillibrand
Sen. Chuck Schumer   New York   @ChuckSchumer
Sen. Richard Burr   North Carolina   @SenatorBurr
Sen. Kay Hagen   North Carolina   @SenatorHagen
Sen. Kent Conrad   North Dakota   @SenateBudget
Sen. John Hoeven   North Dakota   @SenJohnHoeven
Sen. Sherrod Brown   Ohio   @SenSherrodBrown
Sen. Rob Portman   Ohio   @RobPortman
Sen. Tom Coburn   Oklahoma   @TomCoburn
Sen. Jim Inhofe   Oklahoma   @JimInhofe or InhofePress
Sen. Jeff Merkley   Oregon   @SenJeffMerkley
Sen. Ron Wyden   Oregon   @RonWyden
Sen. Robert Casey   Pennsylvania   @SenBobCasey
Sen. Patrick Toomey   Pennsylvania   @SenToomey
Sen. Jack Reed   Rhode Island   @SenJackReed
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse   Rhode Island   @SenWhitehouse
Sen. Jim DeMint   South Carolina   @JimDeMint
Sen. Lindsey Graham   South Carolina   @GrahamBlog
Sen. Tim Johnson   South Dakota   @SenJohnsonSD
Sen. John Thune   South Dakota   @SenJohnThune
Sen. Lamar Alexander   Tennessee   @SenAlexander
Sen. Bob Corker   Tennessee   @SenBobCorker
Sen. John Cornyn   Texas   @JohnCornyn
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison   Texas   @KayBaileyHutchison
Sen. Orrin Hatch   Utah   @SenOrrinHatch or @OrrinHatch
Sen. Mike Lee   Utah   @SenMikeLee
Sen. Patrick Leahy   Vermont   @SenatorLeahy
Sen. Bernie Sanders   Vermont   @SenSanders
Sen. Mark Warner   Virginia   @MarkWarner
Sen. Jim Webb   Virginia   N/A
Sen. Maria Cantwell   Washington   @CantwellPress
Sen. Patty Murray   Washington   @PattyMurray
Sen. Joe Manchin   West Virginia   @Sen_JoeManchin
Sen. John Rockefeller   West Virginia   @SenRockefeller
Sen. Herb Kohl   Wisconsin   N/A
Sen. Ron Johnson   Wisconsin   @SenRonJohnson
Sen. John Barrasso   Wyoming   @SenJohnBarrasso
Sen. Michael Enzi   Wyoming   @SenatorEnzi
On November 29th, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will be holding a hearing on autism. Invited witnesses include people from government agencies, parent autism advocacy organizations, AND Autistic self-advocacy organizations. We are pleased to report that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform staff have just reached out to us to invite Autistic representation to this Thursday’s hearing.
The journey doesn’t end there. Come join us in showing support to Autistic people speaking! We’ll be gathering together at the Rayburn House Office, Room 2154 on the day of the hearing. The hearing itself will begin at 2 PM, but as we anticipate a packed room ASAN will begin gathering besides the door to the hearing at 11 AM. RSVP via our Facebook event page.
You made this happen!
Regards,
Â
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Have you cast your vote in the current election?Â
The National Council on Disability, in collaboration with the National Disability Rights Network and EIN SOF Communications, is collecting information about the voting experiences of people with disabilities. In early 2013, they will release a report based on their findings.
Although it violates state and federal laws, many polling places across the country are inaccessible to people with disabilities. According to a Government Accounting Office report found in 2008, only 27% of polling places were fully accessible. This means that many disabled people are denied their fundamental right to vote in federal, state, and local elections.Â