RFK Jr.'s Autism Registry vs. "Special Needs" Registries: What Are the Differences, and Why Is Knowing This Important?
Among the many challenges faced by the disabled community since the start of the second Trump administration are the stigma and stereotypes perpetuated about us and those with various disabilities. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proposed creating a registry of individuals on the autism spectrum, especially those who use Medicaid and Medicare, with the help of the National Institutes of Health. The registry would be based on information obtained from individuals' medical records without their permission or that of their families, and there would be no option to have one’s information excluded or removed.
During a press conference on April 16, 2025, Kennedy stated that people with autism don’t do many of the same things those without autism do, such as holding a job, paying taxes, going on dates, or writing poetry. Contrary to these stereotypes, people with various disabilities function similarly to their non-autistic peers.
Disability advocates are concerned that these efforts resemble eugenics from 1930s and 1940s Germany, when 250,000 people with disabilities were murdered for not fitting the Nazi party’s idea of a “useful” member of society and considered “unworthy of life,” according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Unlike the efforts by the current administration, there are genuine initiatives by local communities to help people with disabilities during natural disasters or other catastrophic events. Cities across the country, like Harrison Township, New Jersey, and Clinton Township, Michigan, have voluntary “special needs” registries. These require individuals to provide basic information and some details about evacuation needs or preferences during an emergency. There is a clear difference between these registries and the one proposed by Secretary Kennedy. The disability community will not tolerate eugenics in any form. On July 12, 2025, Disability Community for Democracy will host an online protest to oppose the establishment of an Autism Registry.
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If you're interested in joining the Bed-In: STOP RFK Jr.'s Autism Registry event on Zoom this Saturday, July 12th, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, we warmly invite you to register here! This event is a peaceful protest against the implementation of the autism registry, a tool that could be used to target individuals with disabilities, and a call to action to protect the rights of all individuals, regardless of their disability status. We are also seeking volunteers for the day of the event. If you are interested in serving as tech support and helping to spread the word, please sign up here.
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