Please join the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development as we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month 2022 with Representative Jessica Benham (D-PA), April 14th at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, presenting “Overcoming Stigma, Not Autism: Why Being Autistic Makes Me a Good Legislator.”
This virtual, free event is open to all and sponsored by the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development and Duke POLIS: Center for Politics.Rep. Benham, sworn into the Pennsylvania House of Representatives last year, is one of only a handful of US politicians who self-disclose as autistic, and as a bisexual woman, one of the few LGBTQ women in politics. Before her election, Rep. Benham founded the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy, a grassroots self-advocacy project run by autistic people. She is an advocate for the rights of autistic people, especially for increased access to individualized education for public school students, addressing healthcare access barriers, and opening doors to employment for neurodiverse individuals.