The League to Fight Neurelitism
Position Statement Regarding the UNESCO Perspective on Inclusive Education
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For Immediate Release [first published on December 30, 2008]

The League to Fight Neurelitism, an autistic advocacy and activist project committed to United Nations values of human rights and social justice, takes this opportunity, as we approach the new year, to commend UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, on its statement entitled, The Flagship on Education for All and the Right to education for Persons with Disabilities: Towards Inclusion. It begins:

The right to education is universal and must extend to all children, youth, and adults with disabilities. This right is enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and addressed in several significant, internationally approved declarations, including the World Declaration for Education for All (1990), the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disability (1993), the UNESCO Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action (1994), and the Dakar Framework for Action (2000).

The goal of the Dakar Framework for Action is to achieve "education for all" by 2015. The goal of Dakar will only be achieved when all nations recognize that the universal right to education extends to individuals with disabilities, and when all nations act upon their obligation to establish or reform public education systems that are accessible to, and meet the needs of, individuals with disabilities.

It is the view of the League to Fight Neurelitism that autistics, referring to persons at all points along the autism spectrum, should be universally covered by this exemplary statement, and, further, that practical steps should be taken to ensure that the objectives of the Dakar Framework for Action are implemented by the calendar year of 2015.

Respectfully submitted,

Mark A. Foster, Ph.D.
Founding Director,
The League to Fight Neurelitism

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