Category: Republicans

Holcomb Responds to Disability Candidate Questionnaire for Indiana Governor Race

Eric Holcomb and Suzanne Crouch stand behind a podium with supporters behind them

Holcomb Responds to Disability Candidate Questionnaire for Indiana Governor Race

Published by Philip Pauli on September 11, 2020

Key actions and positions posted on the intersection of disability and education, jobs, immigration, climate crisis, criminal justice and more

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb

Indianapolis, IN, Sept. 11– In response to RespectAbility’s 2020 Disability Voter Questionnaire for Senate and Governor Races, Indiana’s Republican Governor Eric Holcomb and Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch have responded with the following letter detailing some of their past efforts to support Hoosiers with disabilities and their shared vision for the future of Indiana. The full text of their letter follows:

Supporting Hoosiers with disabilities is an issue that Governor Holcomb and Lt. Governor Crouch are passionate about. Lt. Governor Crouch has been a champion of Hoosiers with disabilities throughout her entire career in public service and her passion for this issue continues to have a tremendous impact on the approximately 100,000 Hoosiers with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

The very first bill governor Holcomb signed into law was one that provided more transportation options for students with disabilities. He also signed landmark legislation that supports the independence of Hoosiers with disabilities and created the taskforce for assessment of services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Lt. Governor Crouch chaired this taskforce.

Daines Completes Disability Candidate Questionnaire for Montana Senate Race

Steve Daines speaking wearing a suit and tie

Daines Completes Disability Candidate Questionnaire for Montana Senate Race

Published by Philip Pauli on September 10, 2020

Key actions and positions posted on the intersection of disability and education, jobs, immigration, climate crisis, criminal justice and more

Montana Sen. Steve Daines

Helena, MT. Sept. 10 – Incumbent Republican Senator Steve Daines 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 key Senate and gubernatorial 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 Sen. Daines’ responses follow:

1. Learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to more issues and concerns for all students and their families, but this is especially true for students with disabilities. Additionally, the gap in graduation and drop-out rates between students with and without disabilities continues to undermine their futures. For example, in the class of 2018, only 66 percent of Black students with disabilities, 71 percent of Hispanic students with disabilities, 77 percent of white students with disabilities, and 79 percent of Asian-American students with disabilities completed high school. Furthermore, just seven percent of students born with a disability graduate from college. What is your plan for ensuring that all students with disabilities receive a quality and appropriate education to acquire the critical and marketable skills necessary to compete in a job-driven economy?

We need to ensure that all Americans with disabilities have access to the education opportunities that best fit their needs.That’s why I have always supported school choice – we need to be empowering parents and students to find what best fits them. As a father of four children, I understand that what one kid needs isn’t the same as what the other may need – that’s why as families, we must have the tools to ensure each one of our children has the education opportunities that’s the best option for them. I was proud to support IDEA funding, which provides critical education resources for those with disabilities and I’ll continue working to ensure those with disabilities have the resources they need to get the education they deserve and compete in today’s economy.

Collins Completes Disability Candidate Questionnaire for Maine Senate Race

Senator Susan Collins smiling speaking to someone off camera with a crowd behind her

Collins Completes Disability Candidate Questionnaire for Maine Senate Race

Published by Philip Pauli on September 8, 2020

Key actions and positions posted on the intersection of disability and education, jobs, immigration, climate crisis, criminal justice and more

Maine Sen. Susan Collins

Portland, ME, Sept. 8 – In response to RespectAbility’s 2020 Disability Voter Questionnaire for Senate and Governor Races, Maine’s Republican Senator and embattled incumbent Susan Collins has responded with the following letter detailing some of her major legislative accomplishments, her past efforts to support Mainers with disabilities and her vision for the future of this country. 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 key Senate and gubernatorial campaigns on both sides of the aisle and will be posting all responses on The RespectAbility Report.

While Sen. Collins did not answer each question directly, the full text of her letter follows:

Dear Mr. Kahn-Pauli,

Thank you for reaching out to inquire about RespectAbility’s policy priorities. I believe that actions speak louder than words, which is why it is my policy to allow organizations to grade me on my voting record, rather than on answers to questionnaires.

I welcome the opportunity to share my record in support of full community engagement for the one out of five Americans living with disabilities. This minority is the largest in the nation, and unique in that it is the only type that any individual can join at any point in their lives. As Senator and as Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, I have long advocated for policies to promote equal opportunities and inclusive services for people with disabilities from childhood to senior years. We have made strides to improve education, employment, healthcare, and housing for people with disabilities. Now, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated disparities, we must further advance public policies to promote inclusion for those living with disabilities, and I’m committed to achieving this goal.

Republican National Convention & People with Disabilities

Donald Trump speaks at the Republican National Convention in front of American flags and behind a podium

Republican National Convention & People with Disabilities

Published by Shelley Cohen on August 28, 2020

Washington, D.C., August 28 – The 2020 Republican National Convention, which took place over the course of this week as a mixture of live and prerecorded events, gave prominent focus to people with disabilities in prime time speaking slots. By doing so, as with the previous week’s Democratic National Convention,…

Trump Campaign Surrogate Reaches Out to People with Disabilities

Published by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi on August 21, 2020

Washington, D.C., August 21 – On behalf of the Trump Campaign, Lara Trump reached out to the 1-in-5 people who live with a physical, sensory, cognitive, mental health or other disability on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“It is my and President Trump’s belief that every American should have the utmost chance to pursue his or her American dream.” Trump said at a national #ADA30 summit sponsored by RespectAbility, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that fights stigmas and advances opportunities for people with disabilities. “We look forward to working with you all going forward to ensure the American dream is accessible to everyone.” More than 10,000 people watched RespectAbility’s online summit.

Gov. Larry Hogan Reaches Out to People with Disabilities

Published by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi on August 20, 2020

Washington, D.C., August 20 – Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan reached out to the 1-in-5 people who live with a physical, sensory, cognitive, mental health or other disability on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“I truly believe our state is stronger when all of our citizens are able to contribute to their communities and reap the rewards of those contributions,” Gov. Hogan said at a national #ADA30 summit sponsored by RespectAbility, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that fights stigmas and advances opportunities for people with disabilities. “Our administration remains committed to doing everything we can to make sure that adults with disabilities can obtain meaningful work, and to ensure that our schools and public places are examples of inclusion in both attitude and action.” More than 10,000 people watched RespectAbility’s online summit.

Trump and Biden Campaigns to Speak at Disability Summit

Stills from Michelle Kwan and Lara Trump videos sent to RespectAbility with their names as captions

Trump and Biden Campaigns to Speak at Disability Summit

Published by Philip Pauli on July 31, 2020

Washington, D.C., July 31 – With 94 days until the Presidential election, surrogates from the Trump and the Biden campaigns will address a nationwide audience of more than 2,000 disability advocates, subject matter experts and community leaders gathered to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Since Monday, July 27, the national disability nonprofit RespectAbility has hosted a series of virtual #ADA30 events focused on some of the most critical issues impacting people with disabilities in our nation today.

RespectAbility Releases 2020 Disability Voter Questionnaire for Senate and Governor Races

Map of the United States in front of a red and blue gradient background. Text: Disability voter Questionnaire for Senate and Governor Races

RespectAbility Releases 2020 Disability Voter Questionnaire for Senate and Governor Races

Published by Philip Pauli on July 24, 2020

Washington, D.C., July 24 – RespectAbility, a nonpartisan national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community, is now sending its nonpartisan voter questionnaire to candidates in competitive Senate and Governors races across the country.

The outreach is being done in conjunction with RespectAbility’s online publication, TheRespectAbilityReport.org, an online publication around the intersection of disability and electoral politics. The answers to the questionnaire will be turned into nonpartisan voter guides in key battleground states across the country. This questionnaire builds on candidate outreach work done earlier this year during the Democratic Presidential Primary as well as past work in 2018 and 2016.

Biden and Trump campaigns release diversity data – but disability isn’t included

Official portraits of President Trump and Vice President Biden. Text: Trump vs. Biden Diversity Data

Biden and Trump campaigns release diversity data – but disability isn’t included

Published by Lily Coltoff on July 12, 2020

Washington, D.C., July 12 – After increased calls to disclose campaign staff diversity data, both the Biden and Trump campaigns released the diversity statistics of their teams, showing that less than half of their full-time and senior staffs are comprised of minorities. Noticeably absent from the data that has been…

Trump Campaign Surrogate’s Message: “Uplifting and Celebrating Americans with Disabilities”

Published by Philip Pauli on July 7, 2020

Washington, D.C., July 7, 2020 – In a video message played at POWER: the Disability Vote, a national, non-partisan Disability & Election Virtual Summit hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the Trump reelection campaign finally broke its long silence on disability issues. The President’s daughter-in-law and campaign adviser Lara Trump spoke in a direct message with subtitles about creating “real and meaningful change for the disabilities community” and how “every American should have the utmost chance to pursue his or her American dream.”

The video is the first statement of any kind released by the President’s reelection campaign that touches on the issues impacting more than 60 million Americans living with disabilities. That number includes people with visual impairments or hearing loss, people with visible conditions such as spinal cord injuries, and the wide range of non-visible disabilities such as learning disabilities, mental health disabilities, or autism.

Joe Biden’s Message to Voters with Disabilities: “Dignity and Opportunity”

Published by Philip Pauli on June 29, 2020

Washington, D.C., June 29 – Former Vice President and Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden had a clear message for the disability community this past week: “Everyone is entitled to a life of dignity and opportunity.” In a video message played at POWER: the Disability Vote, a national, nonpartisan Disability & Election Virtual Summit hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Biden spoke about his legislative record in the Senate and his vision for advancing disability rights if elected President.

Speaking of his legislative efforts as a Senator from Delaware, Biden talked about working on the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in his “first year in the Senate.” This law, which specifically prohibited “discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies,” created the legal environment that directly lead to the mobilization of the disability rights movement. Biden then talked about the passage of the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) of 1988. This law explicated added people with disabilities to the categories of people protected from discrimination “in housing sales, rentals or financing.” Lastly, he spoke with great pride about being counted among the cosponsors of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

Stimulus Package Becomes Law – Here’s What It Means for People with Disabilities

The U.S. Capitol building and dome from far away. Text: COVID-19 Stimulus Package Becomes Law

Stimulus Package Becomes Law – Here’s What It Means for People with Disabilities

Published by Philip Pauli on March 27, 2020

Washington, D.C., March 27 – President Trump signed into law today the $2 trillion-dollar emergency stimulus aimed at propping up the economy during the current crisis. This law is unprecedented in its scope and is meant to help our nation respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even now, government agencies are going to work to implement the new law.

Millions of Americans living with disabilities are wondering what this new law means for them and whether they will see any benefit. The short answer is yes, but how far the law will go to help people with disabilities who are uniquely at-risk to the impact of the virus remains an open question.

New Battleground Poll Data Shows Disability Community is Large and Electorally Contested

Text: New Poll Data. Three women holding signs that say Earn My Vote!

New Battleground Poll Data Shows Disability Community is Large and Electorally Contested

Published by Eric Ascher on March 19, 2020

Logos for Democracy Corps, Greenberg Research and RespectAbility — Download the Memo

Washington, D.C., March 19 – New polling data of the battleground states shows that the disability community is large and electorally contested, but the issues they care about most are not being sufficiently addressed.

The phone poll of 1,000 registered voters across 16 presidential and Senate battleground states was conducted by Stan Greenberg, Ph.D., and the polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (GQRR), on behalf of the disability inclusion organization RespectAbility. The data was released on a webinar earlier today. The memo, cross-tab data, and PowerPoint are available to download now. The webinar recording will be available to watch with captions early next week.

Presidential Candidates’ Website Accessibility Improves but More Work Still Needed

Individual photos of Joe Biden, Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Tom Steyer speaking at rallies or on stages. Official portrait of President Trump.

Presidential Candidates’ Website Accessibility Improves but More Work Still Needed

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on December 19, 2019

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.

Majority of Voters Have Disability Connections

logos for GQR and RespectAbility. Text: Disability Community is Large, Engaged and Contested National Survey Results October 1 2019 Background image of an American flag from inside a memorial in D.C.

Majority of Voters Have Disability Connections

Published by Eric Ascher on October 10, 2019

85% of voters find it very or somewhat important that presidential candidates have campaign events and websites that are open and accessible to people with disabilities, just like everyone else. 73% of voters are more likely to support candidates for elected office who will make ensuring that children with disabilities…

Presidential Candidates Discriminate Against Voters with Disabilities

Photos of the 13 candidates covered in the Miami Lighthouse Report. Text: 2020 Campaign Accessibility

Presidential Candidates Discriminate Against Voters with Disabilities

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on September 12, 2019

Four Candidates – Biden, Booker, Warren, Yang – Have Made Substantial Improvements in Website Accessibility Washington, D.C., Sept. 12 – Nearly three 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…

With 13 Candidates Celebrating the Anniversary of the ADA, Will They Talk About Disability at the Debates?

Photos of the 13 candidates who celebrated the anniversary of the ADA. Text: 2020 Candidates and the ADA Anniversary

With 13 Candidates Celebrating the Anniversary of the ADA, Will They Talk About Disability at the Debates?

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on July 30, 2019

Washington, D.C., July 30 – This year marks the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) becoming law. The ADA was intended to ensure that people with disabilities could earn an income and achieve independence, just like anyone else. With the Democratic candidates debating this week in Detroit,…

How Accessible and Inclusive Are the Presidential Candidates’ Campaigns?

Headshots of 21 2020 candidates featured in this piece. Text: 2020 Campaign Accessibility

How Accessible and Inclusive Are the Presidential Candidates’ Campaigns?

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on June 26, 2019

How to Tell If a Presidential Campaign is Inclusive of People with Disabilities Washington, D.C., June 26 – On the eve of the first round of Democratic debates, it is important to remember that one important group of swing voters are people with disabilities, who comprise 20 percent of our…

Will Voters with Disabilities Determine Campaign 2020?

Accessibility Symbols and the seal of the President of the United States

Will Voters with Disabilities Determine Campaign 2020?

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on June 25, 2019

Washington, D.C., June 25 – Two separate bipartisan polls following the last presidential election showed that voters with disabilities and their family and friends voted in big numbers for President Donald Trump. Fully three-quarters of likely voters either have a disability themselves or have a family member, or a close friend with disabilities. Therefore, as the 2020 campaign heats up, it is in the best interest of every presidential candidate and the citizens of this country for candidates to recognize disability issues during their campaigns.

“Candidates for office ignore the disability community at their peril,” said former U.S. Representative and Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett. Bartlett, who was a primary author of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, is the board chair of RespectAbility, a Washington-based nonpartisan nonprofit that fights stigmas and advances opportunities so people with disabilities can participate in all aspects of community. “People with disabilities are politically active swing voters, and candidates should take note of the important issues they care about.”

According to the Census Bureau, more than 56 million Americans live with some form of disability. This can include visible conditions such as spinal cord injuries, visual impairments or hearing loss to people living with invisible disabilities such as learning disabilities, mental health or Autism.

Trump/Pence and Access for Voters with Disabilities

President Trump speaking behind the podium with his arms outstretched at his campaign launch in Orlando

Trump/Pence and Access for Voters with Disabilities

Published by The RespectAbility Report on June 24, 2019

Washington, D.C., June 24 – President Trump kicked off his re-election campaign in Florida last week. According to polling, the President won slightly more votes from people with disabilities than Hillary Clinton in 2016, but what is his campaign doing to maintain this lead in 2020?

For a presidential campaign to be fully inclusive of people with disabilities, it needs to meet the following requirements: (1) offer captioning with every video it shares or produces, (2) mention people with disabilities and their issues, (3) depict people with visible disabilities in its media, (4) reach out to the disability community, and (5) provide accessible campaign events and website. While the President has mentioned employment for people with disabilities in his 2019 State of the Union address, and issued a proclamation for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, his campaign’s online presence has not yet met the mark on inclusivity.