This post is by Mark Roithmayr, Autism Speaks’ President.
Earlier this week I had the honor and privilege of traveling to
Washington, D.C., for special ceremonies to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The
term “landmark legislation” is greatly overused, but like the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, this law literally changed life for
millions of people. The ADA has helped level the playing field
for people with disabilities in this country, providing
important civil rights protections and equal opportunities in
the workplace and elsewhere. As I took part in ceremonies at the
Capitol Rotunda and, later, the White House, standing among
other advocates for various causes, I found myself reflecting on
those past two decades. Twenty years ago, America barely
recognized the word autism, nor understood what it meant for
individuals to live with autism. Autism was absent from those
founding moments two decades ago. Yet during the ceremonies this
week, autism was acknowledged over