The app for independent voices
Autistic Pride Chattanooga Statement on the New IACC Appointments
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced 21 new appointments to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Many of these appointees have publicly promoted the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. National disability reporters, researchers, and autistic advocates have raised serious concerns about the lack of scientific grounding, the exclusion of established autism organizations, and the secrecy surrounding the committee’s first meeting.
Autistic Pride Chattanooga is responding clearly and directly.
Our Statement
Autistic Pride Chattanooga rejects any framing of autism as a threat, crisis, or enemy. When government officials talk about “fighting autism”, they are talking about fighting autistic people. We will always challenge language and policy that treats our existence as a problem to solve.
Autistic people are not a disease. We are a community. We are part of Chattanooga. We are part of Tennessee. We are part of the world. Any federal committee that claims to speak on autism must center autistic voices, respect autistic autonomy, and ground its work in evidence, not fear.
We encourage our community to stay informed, stay connected, and stay grounded in autistic-led advocacy. We will continue building spaces where autistic people are valued, supported, and heard.
What Happened
• Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed 21 new members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee on January 28, 2026.
• Multiple independent outlets report that many appointees have promoted vaccine-autism claims that have been scientifically disproven.
• Established autism organizations were excluded from the new committee.
• STAT reported that the committee held an orientation meeting in secret before the public announcement.
• The IACC influences how roughly 2 billion dollars in federal autism-related funding is prioritized.
Why This Matters
Federal policy shapes research, services, and public understanding. When leadership is built around misinformation, autistic people pay the price. Autistic Pride Chattanooga will continue to advocate for evidence-based policy and autistic-led decision-making.
Sources
HHS Press Release
STAT News
Straight Arrow News
Gizmodo
Public Health Policy Journal
