| Pubs Archive | Election 2004 -- Informed Choice Vote -- Disability Issues |
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ELECTION 2004
The Presidential Candidates on Disability Issues-
Where to Go for Information.
Sound bites, commercials, charges, counter charges, service records, and lots of static. Turn on AM radio and Kerry is LYING! Turn on FM, and Bush is LYING!
Wouldn't it be refreshing to find detailed, carefully written information on a specific issue by the candidates? Here are a few places you can look to make an "informed choice".
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) sent 8 "disability issue" questions to both John Kerry and George Bush. A few of the questions were as follows:
- What are your top three accomplishments on behalf of people with disabilities?
- What are your top 3 priorities during your first 100 days in office regarding the quality of life for people with disabilities?
- What do you see as the most appropriate role for the federal government to play in the lives of people with disabilities and their families and what is your reaction to recent trends limiting the federal role in disability policy?
Both candidates responded in detail to these questions, with 6 pages from John Kerry and 4 pages from George Bush. You can view both of their responses on the AAPD website at www.aapd.com. Look under campaign 2004. This is a must read…
Another nonpartisan organization, the National Organization on Disability, www.nod.org, describes a Harris poll survey that found John Kerry to be addressing disability issues better than George Bush, 39% to 22%, with Ralph Nader being selected by 5%. The website also describes another poll by Harris Interactive that finds George Bush with a narrow lead among Americans with disabilities who are likely to vote in the next election.
For more partisan statements, you can go to the presidential candidate websites, i.e. www.georgebush.com and www.johnkerry.com. You may also want to go to directly to the party websites, www.rnc.org and www.democrats.org
I did a search of these websites and entered search keywords such as "disability" and "rehabilitation." Both websites generate headlines/policy announcements. The Bush campaign lists a continued commitment to the "New Freedom Initiative", a policy paper on disability-related initiatives, revisions to Medicare, and substantial increased funding to veterans to relieve the disability claims backlog at the Veteran's Administration. The Democratic Party indicates that Bush has ignored the "New Freedom Initiative" and failed to fund or defend key programs important to American's with disabilities. The democratic party website includes a separate "disability vote" page with headlines, position statements for increased funding of disability-related services, and the email address of the director of the DNC Office of Disability Outreach, Ms. Becky Ogle, ogleb@dnc.org. There was not a comparable contact point regarding disability issues on the republican websites.
For Wisconsin legislative issues, a great website is the Disability Advocates Wisconsin Network (DAWN) www.dawninfo.org. DAWN is a statewide grassroots cross-disability network of people who care about disability issues.
For det ailed information on legislation progressing through Congress on disability and rehabilitation issues, check for legislative updates on the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA) website, www.nationalrehab.org. NRA has an initiative to "Get Out the Vote" and encourages all rehabilitation professionals and consumers to vote on November 2nd. A recent announcement from NRA president, Kathy Wilson, shares information from AAPD that a "hotline" has been set up for disabled individuals to call, should they encounter accessibility, discrimination or other problems at the polls. The number is 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
So, after you have made an informed choice, talk to your friends, encourage consumers you work with, and don't forget to VOTE!
Jim Hill, Vice President
Wisconsin Rehabilitation Association (WRA)
ELECTION 2004
| Election 2004 -- Informed Choice Vote -- Disability Issues | |
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