Tag: 2020 Campaign

Klobuchar Talks Education and Housing for People with Disabilities

amy klobuchar wearing a blue suit standing against a black backdrop, holding a microphone and speaking

Klobuchar Talks Education and Housing for People with Disabilities

Published by Eric Ascher on January 18, 2020

Perry, Iowa, Jan. 18 – Sen. Amy Klobuchar said voters with disabilities contribute to elections “in a big way.”

Answering questions at a town hall in Perry, Iowa earlier this week, Klobuchar talked about the importance of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers educational funding for children with disabilities from birth through high school graduation or age 21, whichever comes first. IDEA has yet to be fully funded by the federal government since it was first passed in 1975. “My mom was a teacher, so I get this,” she added.

Buttigieg Calls for Equal Voting Access – And Funding – for Voters with Disabilities

Mayor Pete Buttigieg announces presidential campaign to a large crowd in South Bend, Indiana.

Buttigieg Calls for Equal Voting Access – And Funding – for Voters with Disabilities

Published by Eric Ascher on January 17, 2020

Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 17 – Mayor Pete Buttigieg called for equal voting access for people with disabilities at a town hall in Des Moines earlier this week. He also said it is important to ensure funding for the equal access.

“Part of our plan on disabilities is to make sure that we’re supporting ways for people with disabilities to have equal access to the vote, because you know, that’s 1 in 4 Americans,” the presidential hopeful said in response to a question about voters with disabilities – asked by a voter on the autism spectrum. “And those who don’t face disabilities might in the future, so we all have a stake in doing something about it… And we need to put funding behind it.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Plan for People with Disabilities: “Economic Security, Equal Opportunity, and Inclusion”

Elizabeth Warren speaking in front of the National Press Club backdrop

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Plan for People with Disabilities: “Economic Security, Equal Opportunity, and Inclusion”

Published by Philip Pauli on January 7, 2020

Massachusetts Senator and presidential candidate completes RespectAbility Candidate Questionnaire

Washington, D.C., Jan. 7 – Posted last week on her website, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s campaign has released a comprehensive statement on disability policy covering critical issues such as employment, health care, education, technology and the social safety net. Subsequently, the campaign completed the 2020 Disability Voter Questionnaire by the disability advocacy group RespectAbility.

Her responses to questionnaire reflect technical expertise drawn directly from diverse leaders in the disability community.

“People with disabilities are still fighting for economic security, equal opportunity, and inclusion – and they are not fighting alone,” Warren said. “As president, I will work in partnership with the disability community to combat ableism.”

Further, she aligns her campaign commitments to the “the four goals of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.” Establishing a new “National Office of Disability Coordination to ensure that federal programs work together to support people with disabilities” is one way she intends to keep her promises if elected.

Yang Releases Major Disability Ideas, Pledges to Tackle Barriers and Stigmas

Yang smiles as he's surrounded by supporters

Yang Releases Major Disability Ideas, Pledges to Tackle Barriers and Stigmas

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on January 6, 2020

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.

RespectAbility Releases 2020 Disability Voter Candidate Questionnaire

Three RespectAbility team members holding up signs that say "Earn My Vote". Red and blue borders

RespectAbility Releases 2020 Disability Voter Candidate Questionnaire

Published by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi on January 2, 2020

RespectAbility, a nonpartisan national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community, has sent its nonpartisan voter questionnaire to of all the viable presidential candidates on a variety of disability issues. The outreach is being done in conjunction with…

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.

Examining Presidential Hopeful Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Accessibility

Published by Courtney Murray on December 19, 2019

Washington, D.C., Dec. 19 – Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has officially announced that he is running for president in the democratic primary. But how is his campaign doing on including people with disabilities?

For a presidential campaign to be fully inclusive of people with disabilities, it needs to meet the following requirements, at a minimum: (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 and fully include the disability community, and (5) provide accessible campaign events, social media, documents and website. Bloomberg’s campaign has room for improvement, but there are some positive signs that the campaign is trying to be inclusive.

“Policy is Personal” Says Senator Elizabeth Warren in New Disability Rights Plan

Senator Elizabeth Warren sitting on a white chair, speaking at the Heartland Forum in Storm Lake, Iowa

“Policy is Personal” Says Senator Elizabeth Warren in New Disability Rights Plan

Published by Philip Pauli on December 2, 2019

Washington, D.C., Dec. 2 – Under the banner headline of “Fighting for an Accessible and Inclusive America,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren pledges she “will always fight for the full inclusion of people with disabilities.” The presidential candidate’s thorough plan to address disability rights highlights both her record of advocacy in areas such as employment and education while also pledging major actions on health care and inclusion. Her disability rights plan concludes by making it clear that this “policy is personal.”

Mayor Buttigieg Prioritizes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at Disability Forum

Mayor Buttigieg Prioritizes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at Disability Forum

Published by Eric Ascher on November 26, 2019

Noting High Intersection Between Disability and LGBTQ+ Communities, Buttigieg Addresses Bullying Epidemic

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nov. 26 – The 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary is heating up, and in recent polls, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been surging in Iowa. Earlier this month, he released a comprehensive plan for the disability community and rolled it out at a Democratic Party Candidate Forum, Accessibility for All, on disability issues in Cedar Rapids. This forum was the first time in the 2020 campaign cycle that disability issues were the main topic of discussion.

As a veteran, he placed a particular emphasis on mental health and suicide prevention, saying that “the place we need to get to as a country is where it is as routine to talk about and act on mental health issues as we would a physical challenge.” Mental health is the most common disability that people in America have, so Mayor Buttigieg’s emphasis on it was notable.

Seven Democratic Campaigns Prioritize Disability Issues in Accessibility for All Forum

Published by Eric Ascher on November 24, 2019

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nov. 24 – Earlier this month, seven presidential campaigns made history together as they participated in a Democratic Party forum, Accessibility for All, focused on issues affecting people with disabilities. This is the first time this campaign season that a forum was held specifically on this topic.…

8 Democratic Campaigns Participate in Forum Focused on People with Disabilities and Health Care

Published by Eric Ascher on November 1, 2019

Washington, D.C., Nov. 1 – Tomorrow in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, eight campaigns are set to participate in a history-making Accessibility, Inclusion, and Outreach Conference focused specifically on issues that affect people with disabilities. This is important, as while recent polling suggests that voters with disabilities themselves are more enthusiastic about participating in the 2020 elections than the nation at large, none of the campaigns are yet fully accessible to the disability community.

“It is vital for the democratic process to be open to all people and all means all – including people with disabilities,” said Lauren Appelbaum, vice president, communications of RespectAbility. “The majority of voters have a friend or family member with a disability or have a disability themselves. It is truly exciting that eight campaigns will be focusing their attention on addressing the 1-in-5 people living in America with a disability.”

Seven of the Democratic candidates will participate themselves. They are:

Sen. Cory Booker
Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Rep. John Delaney
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Rep. Beto O’Rourke
Sen. Bernie Sanders
Mr. Andrew Yang

Additionally, former Sen. Chris Dodd will speak on behalf of Vice President Joe Biden.

According to “Accessibility For All Now,” the organizers of the Forum, candidates will answer questions posed by people with disabilities and members of the Linn County Medical Society, which is co-hosting the forum.

Sen. Booker Calls Disability Rights “An Important Issue”

Cory Booker speaks at an event in Washington, D.C. in front of signs for his campaign and an American flag

Sen. Booker Calls Disability Rights “An Important Issue”

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on October 24, 2019

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.”

Klobuchar’s Plan for Veterans Includes Focus on Mental Health and Other Disabilities

Amy Klobuchar speaking during CNN's Town Hall

Klobuchar’s Plan for Veterans Includes Focus on Mental Health and Other Disabilities

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on October 8, 2019

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…

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…

Harris Calls for Empowering “Ignored” Communities, Stresses Environmental Justice, During CNN Climate Town Hall

Kamala Harris speaks in front of a large U.S. flag

Harris Calls for Empowering “Ignored” Communities, Stresses Environmental Justice, During CNN Climate Town Hall

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on September 5, 2019

New York City, Sept. 5 – Sen. Kamala Harris called for environmental justice to empower “ignored” communities during the climate town hall on CNN. Carson Tueller, a man with a spinal cord injury who has thermodysregulation, leaving his body unable to control its own temperature and unable to sweat, asked…

Kamala Harris Aims to Expand Economic Opportunity for Americans with Disabilities

Kamala Harris holds up her hands by her shoulders next to a man using a wheelchair in front of a group of supporters and reporters. Text: Full Inclusion and Civil Rights for People with Disabilities. Accessibility symbol in bottom right

Kamala Harris Aims to Expand Economic Opportunity for Americans with Disabilities

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on August 29, 2019

Washington, D.C., August 29 – Presidential hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris is calling for expanded “economic opportunity and security for people with disabilities” in a plan unveiled today. She points out that just one-third of people with disabilities who are working-age are employed, compared to three-quarters of those without disabilities in the same age range.

Sen. Harris’ plan focuses on ways to “eliminate barriers that make it harder for people with disabilities to fully participate in our workforce.” One-in-four adults in the United States today have a disability and just 37 percent of those who are ages 18-64 are employed. This means that out of more than 20 million working-age people with disabilities, just 7.5 million have jobs.

Her plan includes six parts:

On ADA Anniversary, Cory Booker Pledges to Ensure Equality for People with Disabilities

On ADA Anniversary, Cory Booker Pledges to Ensure Equality for People with Disabilities

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on July 31, 2019

Washington, D.C., July 30 – “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) on Friday. “As president, I’ll fight…

Andrew Yang Personally Thankful for 29th Anniversary of the ADA

Andrew Yang Personally Thankful for 29th Anniversary of the ADA

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on July 31, 2019

Washington, D.C., July 30 – “For 29 years Americans with disabilities have had a greater sense of dignity and respect,” Andrew Yang tweeted in commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) on Friday. “More work to be done but my family is thankful for the ADA.” Yang is the…

On ADA Anniversary, Gillibrand Calls for Making Society Accessible for All

Gillibrand speaks at a campaign podium with her family surrounding her

On ADA Anniversary, Gillibrand Calls for Making Society Accessible for All

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on July 31, 2019

Washington, D.C., July 30 – “29 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act codified protections against discrimination based on disability,” Kirsten Gillibrand tweeted in commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) on Friday. “My presidency will advance this fight, including having disability community representation in my Cabinet. Let’s keep…

Julián Castro Committed to Protecting Civil Rights of People with Disabilities on ADA Anniversary

Castro and his family wave to the crowd of supporters at his launch rally

Julián Castro Committed to Protecting Civil Rights of People with Disabilities on ADA Anniversary

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on July 31, 2019

Washington, D.C., July 30 – “For 29 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act has helped defend the rights of disabled Americans,” Julián Castro tweeted in commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) on Friday. “It is integral to building an inclusive, fair, and just nation and as president, I…