Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 20 – The majority of Americans either have a disability or a loved one with a disability. Yet, disability is very rarely addressed on the debate stage.
Democratic National Committee Chair Chairman Tom Perez spoke to RespectAbility prior to last week’s debate about the importance of including people with disabilities. He touted his work on ensuring that people with disabilities can live in the community and that employers provide accommodations for employees with disabilities.
“We got to stop focusing on the first three letters of the word disability and focus more on the last seven letters of the word disability and you will see that in our platform,” Perez added. “You will see that in everything we do. You will see that in Milwaukee, the most accessible convention ever.”
Last month, Perez said, “It was exciting to see a question on empowering people with disabilities tonight. We’re going to continue encouraging those questions.”
Read Full Transcript:
Eric Ascher: The majority of Americans either have a disability or a loved one with a disability. Do you think disability will be addressed on stage tonight?
Tom Perez: I’m a proud Democrat. And I’m a proud Democrat because we’ve fought for disability rights. I had the privilege of enforcing the Olmstead Decision of the Supreme Court which opened up opportunities for people with disabilities to live in community-based settings. We made sure when I was Labor Secretary that employers understood their obligations to give opportunity to people with disabilities. We gotta stop focusing on the first three letters of the word disability and focus more on the last seven letters of the word disability and you will see that in our platform. You will see that in everything we do. You will see that in Milwaukee, the most accessible convention ever. Take care.
Eric Ascher: Thank you.
RespectAbility is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that fights stigmas and advances opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of their communities. RespectAbility does not rate or endorse candidates. View more coverage of 2020 presidential candidates.
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