Five Disability Political Issues
published in the Republican June 2020
Even though we are in a crazy time dealing with the pandemic and peaceful protests, we need to keep in mind that this is an election year. Sadly, a lot of times, politicians do not recognize disability issues.
There are five important issues that need to be considered for a candidate’s platform. The first one is work opportunities and benefits. Millions of people with disabilities want to enter the workforce. Unfortunately, many need other benefits to support themselves. Because of rules set up by Social Security, people often have a hard time balancing the two.
Long-term care is often an area of concern because many disabled individuals need help in their daily lives. The goal is to have funding to help people stay in their own homes and live independently in their own communities. This is an everyday worry, especially for families who want to make long-term care plans for their adult children.
Accessibility has always been a front-runner issue for people with disabilities. Even though the Americans With Disabilities Act has been in effect for thirty years, there is still much to be done to ensure accessibility. The ADA needs to be strengthened to avoid loopholes from developing and to block new legislation that weakens it.
To this day, parents and advocates are still fighting to get accommodations for children with disabilities in the school system. Many are concerned that there is not enough independent training of disabled students to enable them to transition into adulthood. Numerous advocates are calling for full funding of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
We are now in a national crisis and many people are concerned with the safety of disabled people. There are flaws in the medical system for people with disabilities to receive equal care and support. Candidates need to take these issues seriously to draw in disabled voters.