Battleground voters with disabilities break decisively for Biden as 2020 comes to a head.
Washington, D.C., Nov. 2 – In an election like no other, a new poll indicates that voters with disabilities and voters in the wider disability community are overwhelming voting for Democrat Joe Biden. This battleground state poll, conducted by Democracy Corps on behalf of the disability inclusion organization RespectAbility, shows that when asked, 60 percent of voters with disabilities cast their vote for Biden compared to only 51 percent of voters without disabilities.
Digging deeper into the poll shows a 25-point split between those people with disabilities supporting Biden and those supporting the President. Fully 60 percent of voters with disabilities say they have or will vote for Joe Biden, compared to only 35 percent of voters with disabilities supporting President Trump. Likewise, the Greenberg poll also captures the views of voters who are part of the wider disability community, such as having family or friends with disabilities. Similarly to people with disabilities themselves, 60 percent of voters who are members of the wider community support Biden compared to 35 percent supporting the President. Among voters without disabilities, 51 percent supported Biden compared to 46 percent supporting Trump.
Washington, D.C., Oct. 22 – A new PSA featuring young adults with disabilities and their allies is urging all voters to have a plan to vote and hold their elected officials accountable.
When politicians plan who to reach out to in their campaigns, they rarely consider the disability population in America. One in four adults in the United States have a disability, all of whom deserve to be considered when policies and plans are made on a government level. Researchers at Rutgers University estimate that approximately 38.3 million people with disabilities already are eligible to vote in this year’s election, which is roughly one-sixth of the electorate. RespectAbility is urging even more to register and vote in the days ahead.
Washington, D.C., Oct. 21 – With one in four adults having a disability, the national, nonpartisan disability inclusion organization RespectAbility is urging pollsters and polling firms to include people who live with a physical, sensory, cognitive or other disability in their polling data. For decades pollsters have included demographics by race, gender, age and educational levels. However, voters with disabilities often are left out of polling.
Researchers at Rutgers University estimate that approximately 38.3 million people with disabilities are eligible to vote in this year’s election, which is roughly one-sixth of the electorate. “Millions of Americans with disabilities are more engaged and active than ever before and it’s time for us to be counted, just like anyone else,” said RespectAbility’s President, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi.
The one in four adults with the disability include people with spinal cord injuries, low vision or who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, as well as those with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, Autism or other disabilities. The sheer number of people with disabilities makes them the nation’s largest minority community.
By Lauren Appelbaum and Hon. Steve Bartlett Washington, D.C., May 28 – As political campaigns seek to connect to every voter, it is important to include voters with disabilities. RespectAbility staff looks forward to assisting all campaigns in achieving these important goals and tips outlined below: 1) Start right away on…
First Edition of California Voting Guide Highlights Presidential Candidates’ Responses to 2020 Disability Candidate Questionnaire
Los Angeles, Jan. 27 – As Californians with and without disabilities get ready to go to the polls to vote in their state’s primary election, a disability rights nonprofit has released its California State Voter Guide. While primary election day in California is on March 3, 2020, early voting begins weeks before in many localities across the Golden State. Early voting gives voters with and without disabilities the flexibility and choice to their ballots long before primary day.
Research conducted in the 2018 election shows that 74 percent of likely voters either have a disability themselves or have a family member or a close friend with disabilities. The upcoming elections and their results will have an impact on people with disabilities, so it is important to become familiar with the candidates’ positions on certain issues.
First Edition of Iowa Voting Guide Highlights Presidential Candidates’ Responses to 2020 Disability Candidate Questionnaire
Des Moines, Jan. 24 – As Iowans with and without disabilities get ready to caucus in their state’s primary election, a disability rights nonprofit has released its Iowa State Voter Guide. Research conducted in the 2018 election shows that 74 percent of likely voters either have a disability themselves or have a family member or a close friend with disabilities. The upcoming elections and their results will have an impact on people with disabilities, so it is important to become familiar with the candidates’ positions on certain issues.
As a nonpartisan national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can participate fully in all aspects of community, RespectAbility has invited all candidates in the presidential race on both sides of the aisle to submit their answers to a 2020 Disability Voter Candidate Questionnaire. This questionnaire covers some of the most important issues impacting people with disabilities including employment, education, immigration, criminal justice and accessibility.
Several high-profile candidates recently submitted their completed questionnaires:
Key actions and positions posted on the intersection of disability and education, jobs, immigration, climate crisis, criminal justice and more
Amy Klobuchar
Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 14 – Presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar has responded to a detailed candidate questionnaire on disability issues. The questionnaire is from RespectAbility, a nonpartisan nonprofit disability organization that does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes. RespectAbility has reached out to all of the major presidential campaigns on both sides of the aisle and will be posting all responses on The RespectAbility Report. The full text of RespectAbility’s questions and Klobuchar’s responses follows:
1. What policies and actions do you support to reduce the stigmas of people with disabilities that are barriers to employment, independence and equality?
Senator Klobuchar believes we must
do more to combat the stigma of Americans with disabilities and advance their
rights and full participation in society. As President, Senator Klobuchar will
prioritize strong enforcement of civil rights legislation, such as the
Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Olmstead decision,
the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and other
laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities. She will support full funding and staffing
for the various Offices of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice’s
Disability Rights Section offices to ensure disability cases are fully
investigated.
Senator Klobuchar is also committed
to promoting financial stability and security for people with disabilities. As
President, she will work to pass the Raise the Wage Act — which she
co-sponsors in the Senate — to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 for all
workers and guarantee that all workers are paid at least the federal minimum wage
by eliminating the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities. She is also
committed to expanding and improving employment training programs for Americans
with disabilities. She helped pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
in 2014, which strengthened workforce training and employment opportunities for
people with disabilities. As President, she will oppose attempts to weaken the
definition of competitive integrated employment. She will also expand the
Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, which provides
funds and administers grant programs that offer training and employment
assistance to people with disabilities.
In addition, Senator Klobuchar will expand tax credits — including the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, Disability Access Expenditures Tax Credit, and Architectural and Transportation Barrier Tax Credit — for employers who hire individuals with disabilities and make workplaces more accessible to those employees, and she will also support inclusion training programs for employers to address discrimination in the workplace.
In the Senate, Senator Klobuchar has championed policies to ensure that people who want to stay in their homes and communities can do so. She is a co-sponsor of the Disability Integration Act of 2019 and as President she will push to pass this legislation and address institutional bias in Medicaid to expand access to home and community-based services for people with disabilities. She will also promote remote monitoring technology and telehealth services in Medicare and other programs that improve the quality of life and expand access to quality home care and emergency hospital services in rural areas. Read more about Senator Klobuchar’s plan to protect equal rights and provide opportunity for people with disabilities here.
Key actions and positions posted on the intersection of disability and education, jobs, immigration, climate crisis, criminal justice and more
Pete Buttigieg
Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 12 – Presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg has responded to a detailed candidate questionnaire on disability issues. The questionnaire is from RespectAbility, a nonpartisan nonprofit disability organization that does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes. RespectAbility has reached out to all of the major presidential campaigns on both sides of the aisle and will be posting all responses on The RespectAbility Report. The full text of RespectAbility’s questions and Buttigieg’s responses follows:
1. What policies and actions do you support to reduce the stigmas of people with disabilities that are barriers to employment, independence and equality?
As President, I
will strive to build a culture of belonging for everyone. We need both a
massive shift in federal policies and a more inclusive and welcoming society to
break down barriers to employment, dignity, independence, and inequality for
people with disabilities. I will retrofit our government so it works for, and
not against, people with disabilities. I will use the office of the
presidency—and all the levers of government available to me—to tirelessly
advocate for people with disabilities, so they no longer have to do it on their
own.
People with
disabilities should have every opportunity to live the life of their choosing,
and that includes having a fulfilling, well-paying job and career options to
achieve community integration. Yet today, only three in ten Americans with
disabilities are employed, compared to about seven in ten people without
disabilities. For Black Americans with disabilities, the employment rate is
less than two in ten.
That’s why I am committed to dramatically increasing opportunities for competitive integrated employment. Embracing Senator Tom Harkin’s goal, my administration will work on a national campaign to double labor force participation for people with disabilities by 2030, the 40th anniversary of the ADA, with a focus on closing racial inequities. This will require support from different federal agencies, states, and stakeholders across the private and social sectors. Together, I believe we can dramatically reduce the stigmas of people with disabilities by committing to bold goals, shifting federal policies, and creating a culture of belonging for everyone.
Key actions and positions posted on the intersection of disability and education, jobs, immigration, climate crisis, criminal justice and more
Bernie Sanders
Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 11 – Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has responded to a detailed candidate questionnaire on disability issues. The questionnaire is from RespectAbility, a nonpartisan nonprofit disability organization that does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes. RespectAbility has reached out to all of the major presidential campaigns on both sides of the aisle and will be posting all responses on The RespectAbility Report. The full text of RespectAbility’s questions and Sanders’ responses follows:
1. What policies and actions do you support to reduce the stigmas of people with disabilities that are barriers to employment, independence and equality?
We recently
celebrated the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite
the progress we’ve made, we unfortunately still live in a world where people
with disabilities have fewer work opportunities and where the civil rights of
people with disabilities are not always protected and respected. We must
recommit to championing the rights of people with disabilities. As a nation, we
have a moral responsibility to ensure that all people with disabilities have
their rights protected.
We must guarantee
people with disabilities the right to live in the community; truly integrated
employment that pays a living wage; affordable, accessible housing; and the
right to health care, including mental health care and home and community based
services and supports.
Every person with
a disability deserves the right to live in the community and have the services
and supports they need to pursue the American Dream. This right must be
available to all, free of waiting lists and means tests. It is our moral responsibility
to make it happen.
When Bernie is in
the White House he is committed to having an administration that looks like
America to help show every person in America that not only do they belong in
the White House that the White House needs them, their experience, knowledge,
and advocacy in order to create an America that works for everyone.
As President,
Bernie will create a National Office of Disability Coordination focused on
coordinating disability policy making to advance the full inclusion of people
with disabilities, including ensuring every aspect of our public resources are
ADA compliant and that the civil rights of people with disabilities are
enforced. This office will be run by a person with a disability.
Cedar Rapids, Jan. 10 – Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the latest Democratic presidential candidate to release a detailed disability policy plan. Unlike other candidates, the senator also held a live event where she detailed her plan and held a panel discussion with three local disability experts, delving deeper into specific aspects of her plan. In a press statement released prior to the disability-focused event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Klobuchar cited her “a strong track record of standing up for people with disabilities.” Key highlights of the plan include commitments around long-term care, expanding healthcare access, and advancing economic opportunities as well as promoting disability rights at home and abroad.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar hosts a panel discussion on disability rights in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Klobuchar’s
plan includes a reference to her personal and professional efforts on
disability issues. A key accomplishment of her time in the Senate was the
passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. The ABLE Act has been a pathway for
improved financial security for thousands of people with disabilities and their
families. Likewise, Klobuchar cited her past service on the advisory board of the PACER Center. PACER “provides
individual assistance, workshops, publications, and other resources to help
families” and youth with disabilities.
Key actions and positions posted on the intersection of disability and education, jobs, immigration, climate crisis, criminal justice and more
Elizabeth Warren
Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 7– Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren has responded to a detailed candidate questionnaire on disability issues. The questionnaire is from RespectAbility, a nonpartisan nonprofit disability organization that does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes. RespectAbility has reached out to all of the major presidential campaigns on both sides of the aisle and will be posting all responses on The RespectAbility Report. The full text of RespectAbility’s questions and Warren’s responses follows:
1. What policies and actions do you support to reduce the stigmas of people with disabilities that are barriers to employment, independence and equality?
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the ADA, and the 100th anniversary of the Vocational Rehabilitation program. Though we have made significant progress for the 61 million Americans living with disabilities, we have a lot of ground left to cover. People with disabilities are still fighting for economic security, equal opportunity, and inclusion – and they are not fighting alone. As president, I will work in partnership with the disability community to combat ableism. I will fight alongside them for justice across all aspects of life and to fulfill the four goals of the ADA: equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self sufficiency. I’ll start by making clear that disability is a priority in my administration, creating a National Office of Disability Coordination to ensure that federal programs work together to support people with disabilities.
Building economic security for people with disabilities means rewriting the rules of the economy to foster inclusivity, value their labor, and end labor market discrimination and exploitation. As president, I’ll fight for economic security for individuals with disabilities by supporting opportunities to participate fully in the economy at a fair wage and to ensure financial security for all. My administration will also support children with disabilities and their families by providing crucial early interventions and ensuring meaningful access to education. When children with disabilities are supported and included, they can excel. But right now, we are failing on our country’s promise to give them a great education. My administration will invest in providing a meaningful, free and appropriate public education to students with disabilities by fully funding IDEA and will tackle discriminatory policies and practices in education head-on.
Experts have sounded the alarm about the potential for artificial intelligence and algorithms to discriminate against individuals with disabilities across a variety of areas, including automated job screenings and housing. As president, I’ll create a taskforce that works across relevant federal agencies to promote enforcement of existing anti-discrimination laws, new regulations that specifically address discrimination in current and emerging technology, and guidance to the industry to promote compliance. My administration will ensure that technology is used to advance the interests of people with disabilities.
Systemic failures to consider and include people with disabilities have resulted in unconscionable limitations on their freedom to participate in our society and barriers to housing, transportation, and health care. As President, I’ll protect the rights and civil liberties of people with disabilities in areas like voting, criminal justice, and parental custody. My administration will also fight for affordable, accessible, and green housing, accessible public transportation, and environmental justice. We’ll ensure consistent access to affordable, high quality health care, and lead the fight for disability rights around the world. Read more about my plan here: https://elizabethwarren.com/plans/disability-rights
First Candidate to Complete RespectAbility Candidate Questionnaire
Washington, D.C., Jan. 6 – For the first time this campaign season, businessman Andrew Yang has provided more detailed information regarding a variety of disability-related policies – from education and employment to immigration and community integration. Responding to a questionnaire by the disability advocacy group RespectAbility, businessman Andrew Yang outlined his views.
In responses to 15 questions submitted by the organization concerning people with disabilities, Yang noted the stigmas that exist that “incorrectly label them as liabilities.” He pledged to “incentivize businesses to hire people with disabilities by offering tax benefits to those that provide adequate job training for people with disabilities.”
Regarding immigration, he called for a reversal of the public charge rule that impacts immigrants with disabilities. “In addition to making sure the U.S. does not discriminate against immigrants with disabilities at the border, we must also ensure that immigrants are sufficiently cared for throughout the immigration process,” Yang added.
Key actions and positions posted on the intersection of disability and education, jobs, immigration, climate crisis, criminal justice and more
Andrew Yang
Des Moines, Iowa, Jan, 6 – Presidential candidate Andrew Yang has responded to a detailed candidate questionnaire on disability issues. The questionnaire is from RespectAbility, a nonpartisan nonprofit disability organization that does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes. RespectAbility has reached out to all of the major presidential campaigns on both sides of the aisle and will be posting all responses on The RespectAbility Report. The full text of RespectAbility’s questions and Yang’s responses follows:
1. What policies and actions do you support to reduce the stigmas of people with disabilities that are barriers to employment, independence and equality?
Andrew believes that people with disabilities have much to offer society, and that their contributions are regularly impeded due to the lack of enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). People with disabilities make up a large portion of the population, and everyone loses when these individuals can’t fully participate in society due to structural and systemic barriers. We need to rewrite the rules of our country so that they apply equally to everyone.
Addressing the barriers and stigma around employment should start at the federal level. The government should lead by example through hiring people with disabilities and valuing the contribution of people with disabilities in the workforce. The federal government should also ensure that all of its services, websites, and materials are accessible.
If the government improved enforcement of the ADA, people with disabilities would have more opportunities to find work and integrate into society. Andrew is committed to the consolidation of federal agencies that enforce the ADA into a synchronized single entity, ending the problematic fragmentation of our current system. He will appoint people with disabilities to positions to ensure that they are represented throughout the decision- and policy-making process.
Andrew supports policies that strengthen the enforcement of the ADA and ensure that the civil rights of people with disabilities are protected as the law requires. Andrew supports the Disability Integration Act (DIA), as well as increasing funding for special education.
Los Angeles, Dec. 19 – For the first time this political
season, a debate moderator, Politico’s Tim Alberta, asked a question
specifically on disability policy – giving the example of Kyle, a young adult
with disabilities in Iowa: “Are there specific steps you would take to help
people like Kyle to become more integrated into the workforce and into their
local communities?”
Out of more than 20 million working-age people with
disabilities, just 7.5 million have jobs, while 70 percent would prefer to be
employed. This data also
shows the serious gaps that remain between disabled and non-disabled Americans:
37 percent of U.S. civilians with disabilities ages 18-64 living in the
community had a job, compared to 77.2 percent for people without
disabilities.
Just three candidates were given the opportunity to respond
– businessmen Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Sen. Amy
Klobuchar – and potentially others off camera – also tried to answer but the
moderators moved on to another topic.
Four Candidates – Biden, Booker, Castro and Yang – Have “Mostly Accessible” Websites
Washington, D.C., Dec. 19 – Nearly six months after a report by the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired found that all of the presidential candidates’ websites block democratic access to voters who are blind or have low vision, an update finds that still none of these websites – Democrat or Republican – are fully accessible. However, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind found that many of the candidates’ websites do show improvements in accessibility.
The organization issued a challenge for the candidates in June: “ensure their websites are fully ADA compliant and immediately put an accessibility statement on their page.” Since then, both Entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Vice President Joe Biden’s have been deemed “mostly accessible” and are the only candidates who have qualified for the December debate to have scored higher than a 3.00 out of 4.00.
Washington, D.C., Oct. 24 – At a presidential campaign fundraiser on Capitol Hill last night, Sen. Cory Booker said disability rights is “an important issue.” Speaking to members of The RespectAbility Report, he stated he has and is going to have a lot of policies relating to disability rights coming out.
“We have more to do to ensure equality for Americans with disabilities who still face high poverty rates & barriers to health care & quality of life,” Cory Booker tweeted in commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) this summer. “As president, I’ll fight for equal rights & inclusion for people with disabilities.”
Washington, D.C., Oct. 12 – When presidential candidates include senior staff and advisors with disabilities, with the same effort as other marginalized populations, they are exposed to a variety of thoughts and ideas. Mayor Pete Buttigieg proved that during a recent interview with The New Republic when he noted the…
Washington, D.C., Oct. 8 – Presidential hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s new plan for veterans pays specific attention to veterans with disabilities, highlighting “inadequate mental health and addiction services.” According to the U.S. Census, 3.8 million veterans have a service-connected disability, which is a result of a disease or injury incurred…
Washington, D.C., Sept. 19 – Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) may not have a long legislative record for voters to examine on various issues but he showed his knowledge of legislation regarding education for children with disabilities during an interview with the progressive organization Supermajority Tuesday.
Responding to a question from the mother of an 18-year-old student with autism, Buttigieg called for more attention to be paid to IEPs [individualized education plans] and for full funding of IDEA – the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which has yet to be fully funded since it was first passed in 1975. IDEA covers kids from birth through high school graduation or age 21, whichever comes first. Autistic students who need special education to make progress in school are supposed to be covered by IDEA.
