Washington, Oct. 19 – As voters get ready to head to the polls in Virginia, RespectAbility is releasing its Virginia’s Disability Voter Guide for the upcoming presidential election. Democrat Hillary Clinton has completed the #PwDsVote Disability Campaign Questionnaire, but Republican Donald Trump has yet to do so.
The #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaires were designed by and for people with disabilities (PwDs) and those who love them to know where candidates stand on key issues. RespectAbility is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. The questionnaires are purely for educational purposes as voters go to the polls.
The presidential questionnaire was created during the primary season and asked all of the presidential candidates to comment on 16 disability questions. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responded by addressing all of the questions. Despite numerous requests in person and by phone and email, the Trump campaign has not yet filled out the questionnaire. The American Association of People with Disabilities and the National Council on Independent Living also has a nonpartisan presidential questionnaire, which both Clinton and Trump have completed. Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein have not filled out either questionnaire but Stein recently did speak about disability issues during a campaign stop in Texas.
Twenty-six candidates for Senate, as well as eleven candidates for governor, from both sides of the aisle (22 Democrats, 14 Republicans, 1 Green Party) also completed the down ballot questionnaire, showing that disability rights is a nonpartisan issue. An additional nine candidates responded that they are not completing any questionnaires during this campaign season. The responses also are geographically-diverse, coming from states all around the country, as politicians are paying more and more attention to the disability community.
Virginia Needs to Improve Outcomes for Citizens with Disabilities
Virginia can and must do better in terms of competitive, intergraded employment for people with disabilities. Only 36.9 percent of the approximately 482,793 working age Virginians with disabilities are employed. Additionally, there are 28,300 youth with disabilities ages 16-20 with disabilities. Virginia’s voters are looking to know where the candidates stand on important disability issues in order to increase opportunities for competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities and foster a more inclusive society. As such, RespectAbility has actively encouraged politicians to include issues facing people with disabilities in their policy agendas. Founded in 2013, RespectAbility is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to end stigmas and advance opportunities for people with disabilities.
Virginia has a lot of ground to cover to improve the overall employment rate for people with disabilities. When you look at the gap between the employment rate of people with disabilities and those without disabilities, Virginia comes 22nd in the country. Only 36.9 percent of people with disabilities in Virginia are employed while 76.9 percent of those without disabilities are employed, which results in the 40-point gap.
Government action alone – through executive orders, legislative decisions, and regulatory oversight – is insufficient. The necessary condition for achieving greater competitive, integrated employment for individuals with disabilities is engaging employers, meeting their talent needs and addressing stigmas that are barriers to work.
In order to promote best practices and the inclusion of people with disabilities in state workforce systems, RespectAbility has submitted comments for all 50 state’s drafts of the Unified Plan, which is required under Section 102 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). This new law represents the intersection of hope and history for people with disabilities.
From the review of Virginia’s Unified State Plan, it is clear that Virginia takes employment for people with disabilities seriously, including them in almost every section of its Plan. Virginia’s emphasis on collaboration and cooperation among agencies, focus on relevant data, and desire to improve and self-evaluate are all encouraging signs.
America has 1.2 million youth with disabilities, between the ages of 16 and 20. Each year 300,000 of them age into what should be the workforce, but stigmas and lack of knowledge about the capabilities of people with disabilities means that most do not find employers willing to hire them. Young adults with disabilities in all of these states are hoping to find work. They have high expectations and deserve the opportunity to achieve the American dream. Young people with disabilities may simply need some thoughtful help to transition into the workforce. See data on all 50 states here: State Data.
RespectAbility President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi said, “Our community is looking for jobs so we can achieve the American dream, just like anyone else. It is vital for us to know where the candidates stand on economic, stigma, education, safety, transportation, housing, healthcare, foreign affairs and other issues.”
Fully one-out-of-five Americans have a disability, and 52 percent of likely voters have a loved one with a disability. Only 34 percent of working-age Americans with disabilities have jobs, despite the fact that the vast majority want to work. More than 11 million working age people with disabilities are now living on government benefits in our country.
According to a new report from Rutgers University, 35.4 million people with disabilities will be eligible to vote in the November 2016 elections, representing close to one-sixth of the total electorate. That’s an increase of nearly 11 percent since 2008.
Remember to Vote
Virginia residents can vote for the candidates of their choice either through the standard voting schedule, early voting, or absentee ballots. Voters had until Oct. 17, 2016 to register to vote. More information regarding voter registration can be found at: Voter Registration.
Virginia also has early voting in the sense of having certain polling places open on designated days prior to Election Day as well as absentee voting both my mail and in person. To vote by mail, a registered voter must meet these certain requirements in order to be qualified. In order for the ballot to count, it must be received by Nov. 1. More information regarding absentee ballots can be found at: Requesting An Absentee Ballot.
On the other hand, to vote during the early voting period, the person may vote purely for the sake of convenience. To vote early, a person must appear in person at either the county election commission office or at a satellite voting location opened by the county election commission. Virginians can vote early from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5. More information regarding early voting can be found at: Early Voting.
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