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Month: April 2020

COVID-19 Economic Benefits How-To GuideThree closed mailboxes. Text: COVID-19 Economic Benefits How-To Guide

COVID-19 Economic Benefits How-To Guide

Published by Philip Pauli on April 17, 2020

Washington, D.C., April 17 – As more Americans with and without disabilities are caught up in the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are wondering where to find answers to life-or-death questions. In this How-To Guide, the RespectAbility team has compiled clear information about several key Economic Benefits to see you through these challenging times.

This guide includes the latest information and online resources about three key topics: accessing your CARES Act payment, accessing food resources and understanding unemployment insurance. 

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Leaders Need to Ensure that People with Disabilities Have Access to Online Food and Medicine DeliveryCartoon of a person holding a paper bag with food inside. SNAP logo.

Leaders Need to Ensure that People with Disabilities Have Access to Online Food and Medicine Delivery

Published by Philip Pauli on April 15, 2020

CDC: Approximately 90% of people hospitalized with COVID-19 have underlying conditions, i.e. disabilities “Allowing people with the highest risks for the Coronavirus to use SNAP, WIC and other benefits for online food deliveries will save lives”  Washington, D.C., April 15 – With the nation on lockdown for the duration of the COVID-19…

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What Leaders Need to Know To Help People with Disabilities SurviveThe western front of the United States Capitol

What Leaders Need to Know To Help People with Disabilities Survive

Published by Philip Pauli on April 9, 2020

Washington, D.C., April 9 – As lawmakers continue to work around the clock during this critical time, RespectAbility acknowledges the importance of ensuring people with disabilities are fully included in life-saving efforts.

“The RespectAbility team has been very hard hit,” said the organization’s President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. “Our IT consultant died last week, and our immediate past chairman has COVID-19, as do two other members of our extended team. Therefore, these issues are very personal to us and are working hard to get journalists and leaders the facts and sources they need so that policy makers and the public understand both the stakes and solutions to solving this shared crisis.”

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Bernie Sanders Drops Out of Presidential PrimaryBernie Sanders speaking behind a podium at a rally

Bernie Sanders Drops Out of Presidential Primary

Published by Eric Ascher on April 8, 2020

Washington, D.C., April 8 – Earlier today, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced that he is dropping out of the 2020 Democratic Primary, leaving former Vice President Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President.

While neither the Biden campaign nor the Trump campaign have yet released detailed policy plans on disability issues, ahead of the Iowa Caucus Sen. Sanders rolled out a comprehensive “Fighting for Disability Rights Plan.” In the plan, Sen. Sanders promised to “incorporate disability issues into every other area of public policy” and “promote access, autonomy, inclusion and self-determination for all.” The RespectAbility Report covered the plan back in February. 

Sen. Sanders had also responded to RespectAbility’s detailed candidate questionnaire on disability issues. The questionnaire was purely for educational purposes. RespectAbility reached out to all of the major presidential campaigns on both sides of the aisle. All responses to the candidate questionnaire will be posted in full on The RespectAbility Report as they come in and will be used to produce and update nonpartisan voter guides in all 50 states. It is the hope of RespectAbility that the remaining candidates will send their responses in soon.

Continue readingBernie Sanders Drops Out of Presidential Primary