October Election Special!
Disability Policies of President, U.S. Senate Candidates
U.S. Senate
Cornyn
Noriega
There has never been a more important time to be a Texan with a disability and voting. With the upcoming Presidential election and the fate of Americans with disabilities at stake there is another election that will directly affect the lives of Texans with disabilities and their families. U.S. Senate Candidate Rick Noriega (D) is challenging the incumbent Senator John Cornyn (R) to represent you in the U.S. Senate.
During CTD’s 30th Annual Convention both candidates were asked to speak on their disability platform and how they would support the rights of 4.5 million Texans with disabilities. U.S. Senate Candidate Rick Noriega was the only one to attend and speak at the convention. He addressed the audience on the lack of current support and leadership regarding disability issues in Washington for the last six years under Senator Cornyn. Noriega spent time covering issues that he would immediately tackle if elected Senator: first “ I will co-sponsor the ADA Amendments Act,” second “I will fight to pass the Community Choice Act to give people a true choice,” third “I will fight to make sure that policies are created that encourage and support stem cell research with the funding it needs,” and lastly he spoke of making sure that all people not only our vets that are suffering from mental illness would receive the treatment and support that they need. In Noriega’s closing notes he spoke about creating strong alliances with the disability organizations, advocacy groups, and any individual with a disability to help in creating good public policy that would serve Texans with the respect and dignity they deserve.
CTD contacted Senator Cornyn’s office on three different occasions with a list of questions and a request on what the Senator's disability platform will be, and received no response from them.
Remember early voting starts this Monday Oct. 20 and that it’s not just your right but your duty to get out and VOTE! Make your voice heard!
President
In a highly contested election it may become difficult, at times, to identify exactly where a candidate stands on a particular issue. With Election Day roughly three weeks away, CTD decided to do some investigating and discover exactly how our presidential nominees plan to handle issues surrounding disability.
The following comparison reflects published articles and public statements from the candidates concerning their disability policy. For further investigation we encourage you visit the websites and/or sources of the candidates to gain the full picture on their disability platform, these are highlights of their respective platforms.
Obama
From Barack Obama:
The Obama plan stands on four pillars:
- funding of Individuals with Disabilities Act coupled with strong enforcement
- Support vocational rehabilitation programs to help remove barriers of high school students to college or workforce entry
- Strong support of ADA Amendments Act to overturn Supreme Court decisions that limit the ADA’s coverage
- Fully fund and staff Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to increase enforcement
- Implement a health care plan to ensure Americans with disabilities will not lose Medicare or Medicaid eligibility by taking a job.
- Insurers will not be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions
- Work alongside proven employment systems to “identify, promote and disseminate best practices in accommodating workers with disabilities”
- Identify schedule flexibility at the workplace as an essential accommodation to people with disabilities and family caregivers
- Support of Community Choice Act and CLASS Act
- Streamline of the social security approval process to reduce long waiting lists for assistance
- Protect voting rights through full funding of the Help America Vote Act and opposition to voter ID laws
- Strengthening VA specialty care by investing in centers of excellence for Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD, rehabilitative care and more
McCain
From John McCain:
On October 12, Donna M. Jones, National Coordinator, Americans with Disabilities for McCain Coalition stated in a email, “"[T]he McCain Campaign does not have a vetted disability policy to release at this time. I also do not have any further information on when we might be releasing a platform discussing the Senator's stance on issues that relate to people with disabilities. I understand that in this contentious political season, the needs of people with disabilities must be addressed as part of the policy conversation. It is my hope that we will be able to release a vetted policy from Senator McCain in the near future. That being said, I will not be able... to discuss a policy Senator McCain has not approved."
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