Category: Governors

Springfield, Illinois, Oct. 25 – With 64.3 percent of Illinois’ 679,862 working-age people with disabilities out of work, Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker has responded to a questionnaire by the disabilities advocacy group RespectAbility with a statement outlining his views on training and hiring people with disabilities. Rather than responding specifically to…

Montgomery, Alabama, Oct. 25 – With 72.5 percent of Alabama’s 421,135 working-age people with disabilities out of work, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Walter Maddox responded to a questionnaire by the disabilities advocacy group RespectAbility, outlining his views on training and hiring people with disabilities.

In his responses to 10 questions submitted by the organization, Maddox repeatedly cited Alabama’s failure to expand Medicaid as a factor in disability unemployment.

Citing a recent University of Kansas study, Maddox asserted that “states that expand Medicaid are substantially more likely to see increases in employment by people with disabilities.”

“Without expansion, many people with disabilities will continue to be caught in the disturbing trap that keeps people from finding work because the income will disqualify them from Medicaid.”

“New data from the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire indicates that 343,488 more people with disabilities joined the workforce in 2016,” noted RespectAbility’s President, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. “However, in Alabama, there were 5,531 fewer persons with disabilities working than the year before.”

“Our nation was founded on the principle that anyone who works hard should be able to get ahead in life,” Mizrahi asserted. “People with disabilities deserve equal opportunity to earn an income and achieve independence just like anyone else.”

RespectAbility also reached out repeatedly to Maddox’ Republican opponent, incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey, but received no response to the questionnaire, according to the organization’s President, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi.

The full text of RespectAbility’s questions and Maddox’ responses follows:

Lansing, Michigan, Oct. 25 – With 66.7 percent of Michigan’s 764,335 working-age people with disabilities out of work, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, the Republican nominee for governor, has issued an official response to a questionnaire by the disabilities advocacy group RespectAbility, outlining his views on training and hiring people with disabilities.

In responses to 10 questions submitted by the organization, Schuette said that “Michigan must be a place where we grow our recovering economy and ensure there is no room for discrimination of any kind, because all people must be treated with dignity, grace and respect.”

“The disability community has so much to contribute, especially to our state’s economy, and businesses need to know there is a real return on investment in hiring persons with disabilities. As governor, I would make sure employers hear this important message.”

Scheutte noted that “Michigan is still 300,000 jobs short from where we were before the Great Recession.”

“Our incomes are still below pre-recession levels, and more than $5,000 below the national average. As governor, I’ll set policies that let our businesses expand and thrive and attract the people needed to fill all the jobs we are creating, while giving a pay raise to those who are already here.”

“Our nation was founded on the principle that anyone who works hard should be able to get ahead in life,” said RespectAbility’s President, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. “People with disabilities deserve equal opportunity to earn an income and achieve independence just like anyone else.”

RespectAbility also reached out repeatedly to Schuette’s opponent, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, but received no response to the questionnaire from her, according to Mizrahi.

The full text of RespectAbility’s questions and Attorney General Schuette’s responses follows:

Tallahassee, Florida, Oct. 25 – With 67.8 percent of Florida’s 1,255,268 working-age people with disabilities out of work, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee for governor, has issued an official response to a questionnaire by the disabilities advocacy group RespectAbility, outlining his views on training and hiring people with disabilities.

Although Gillum failed to answer the 10 questions submitted by the organization, he responded with a formal statement asserting that “Floridians with disabilities deserve the same rights afforded to all Floridians.”

“Most importantly, they must be given the ability to live independently within their chosen communities, and the opportunity to seek out and achieve their dreams and desires. Government plays an important role in supporting and ensuring this fundamental right. We must do a better job in this regard.”

He continued, “There are specific steps we can take to make our state a better place for people with disabilities. First, we must get a handle on the waiting list for services within the Home and Community Based Waiver. Too many Floridians have been denied critical services due to a lack of political will. This program is a lifeline for our most vulnerable citizens and their desire to live productive lives. The same can also be said for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). APD is filled with some of the most dedicated and hard-working public servants in the State of Florida and I look forward to giving them the necessary tools and funding to carry out their important mission.”

“Our nation was founded on the principle that anyone who works hard should be able to get ahead in life,” said RespectAbility’s president, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. “People with disabilities deserve equal opportunity to earn an income and achieve independence just like anyone else.”

RespectAbility also reached out repeatedly to Gillum’s opponent, former Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis, but received no response to the questionnaire from him, according to Mizrahi.

The full text of Mayor Gillum’s statement follows:

Dover, Delaware, Oct. 25 –With 64.1 percent of Delaware’s 56,546 working-age people with disabilities out of work, Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Arlett responded to a questionnaire by the disabilities advocacy group RespectAbility, outlining his views on training and hiring people with disabilities.

In his responses to six questions submitted by the organization, Arlett noted that one of his key staff members is “high functioning Asperger’s Syndrome.”

“This individual is in charge of scheduling my events statewide, compiling press releases and doing policy work for questionnaires such as this one,” Arlett said. “This same individual was displaced from employment at the end of 2017 (unrelated to diagnosis) and this assignment has helped me tremendously over the past six months for this campaign.”

“One of the reasons why I am running is to give more people who want to work and can, the opportunity to thrive.”

“Our nation was founded on the principle that anyone who works hard should be able to get ahead in life,” said RespectAbility’s President, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. “People with disabilities deserve equal opportunity to earn an income and achieve independence just like anyone else.”

RespectAbility also reached out repeatedly to Arlett’s opponent, incumbent Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, but received no response to the questionnaire from him, according to Mizrahi.

The full text of RespectAbility’s questions and Arlett’s responses follows:

Washington, D.C., Oct. 22 – Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gillum responded today to RespectAbility’s #PwDsVote Questionnaire for the 2018 Midterm Elections. The current Tallahassee Mayor outlined his plan to improve state services for the 2,785,900 Floridians with disabilities by addressing issues such as long waiting lists for the Home and…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 17 – Responding today to a questionnaire by the disability advocacy group RespectAbility, Iowa Democratic nominee for governor Fred Hubbell outlined his views on training and hiring the 175,300 working-age people with disabilities in Iowa, who have an unemployment rate of 54.2 percent. According to a recent survey, 74 percent of…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 17 – Responding today to a questionnaire by the disability advocacy group RespectAbility, Michigan attorney general Bill Schuette outlined his views on training and hiring the 738,700 working-age people with disabilities in Michigan, who have an unemployment rate of 66.4 percent. Schuette is the Republican nominee for Michigan Governor.…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 17 – Responding today to a questionnaire by the disability advocacy group RespectAbility, Colorado Rep. Jared Polis outlined his views on training and hiring the 308,342 working-age people with disabilities in Colorado, who have an unemployment rate of 57.3 percent. Polis is running for governor in his home state…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 17 – Responding today to a questionnaire by the disability advocacy group RespectAbility, Hawaii’s Democratic Gov. David Ige outlined his views on training and hiring the 65,700 working-age people with disabilities in Hawaii, who have an unemployment rate of 59.5 percent. According to a recent survey, 74 percent of likely voters…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 17 – Responding today to a questionnaire by the disability advocacy group RespectAbility, Alaska Independent Gov. Bill Walker outlined his views on training and hiring the 54,500 working-age people with disabilities in Alaska, who have an unemployment rate of 49.6 percent. According to a recent survey, 74 percent of likely voters have…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 8 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities, has asked gubernatorial candidates on all sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. Walter ‘Walt’ Maddox, a Democrat, currently serves as Tuscaloosa’s Mayor. This is his fourth term in…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 8 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities, has asked gubernatorial candidates on all sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. Andria Tupola is the current representative for district 43 in the Hawaii State House of Representatives,…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 7 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities, has asked gubernatorial candidates on all sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues.

Laura Kelly, a Democratic candidate and current Senate Minority Whip for the Kansas Senate, is the first gubernatorial candidate in Kansas to complete the full 2018 #PwDsVote Disability Campaign Questionnaire.

RespectAbility is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes.

This is important for Kansas’ 371,000 citizens with disabilities. Only 45 percent of the 180,800 working-age people with disabilities in Kansas are employed. Further, there are more than 38,000 youth with disabilities and each year a quarter of them will age out of school into an uncertain future.

Washington, D.C., Oct. 5 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities, has asked gubernatorial candidates on all sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. JB Pritzker, a Democratic candidate for governor, responded to the #PwDsVote Questionnaire. RespectAbility is nonpartisan and…

Washington, D.C., Oct. 4 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities, has asked gubernatorial candidates on all sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues.

Steve Sisolak, a Democratic candidate and current Clark County Commission Chair seeking the governorship in Nevada, is the first to respond in full to the 2018 #PwDsVote Disability Campaign Questionnaire for Senate and Gubernatorial Candidates for people with disabilities.

RespectAbility is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes.

This is important for Nevada’s 382,600 citizens with disabilities. Only 42.6percent of the 193,100 working-age people with disabilities in Nevada are employed. Further, there are more than 32,200 youth with disabilities and each year a quarter of them will age out of school into an uncertain future.