Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Missouri advocacy group wants autism included in health care reform

From KOAM-TV:

On Capital Hill and across the nation the debate continues over President Barack Obama's health care reform.

In Joplin an advocacy group is making their voices heard after they said they were left out of the reform plan.

The Kansas chapter of the National Autism Association held an Autism Awarness Day at Carousel Park in Joplin.

The event focused on educating the public on autism and the familes effected.

Organizers also targted healthcare reform.

They say the then president-elect Barack Obama made promises to the autistic community, but now that he has established his proposal the autistic community is being left out.

"That's how the autism community feels right now, that they have pushed the issue under the water," says Mandy Commons of the National Autism Association's Kansas chapter. "I'm for health care reform, don't get me wrong, but they need to include autism. The numbers are only growing and we need to find out why."

Carousel Park did their part to help out with awarness, with $2 from each ticket sold Sunday being donated to the Kansas chapter of the NAA.