Barack Obama's Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities

[Hope And Change]

Barack Obama's Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities


"We must build a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination .... policies must be developed, attitudes must be shaped, and buildings and organizations must be designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to get the education they need and live independently as full citizens in their communities."

Check out this http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1321372407/bctid1338935398">video
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/awdplan#">Read the Full Transcript of Barack's Message


Obama’s comprehensive agenda to empower individuals with disabilities fits in with the campaign’s overarching message of equalizing opportunities for all Americans.

In addition to reclaiming America’s global leadership on this issue by becoming a signatory to – and having the Senate ratify – the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the plan has four parts, designed to provide lifelong supports and resources to Americans with disabilities. They are as follows:

First, provide Americans with disabilities with the educational opportunities they need to succeed.

Second, end discrimination and promote equal opportunity.

Third, increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities.

And fourth, support independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities.

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/DisabilityPlanFactSheet.pdf">Read Barack's Full Plan Overview


http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/awdplan">Source

[Bitwit1234]

1. Gee he'll have American a Heaven in no time.

there's one thing saying and another doing. And Obama is not the type to get anything done.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

3. I think his actions in the Illinois State Senate proves you wrong

as well as some of the things he has accomplished/helped with in the U.S. Senate

Be against him if you want(thats your right) but claiming he is not the type to get anything done is pure BS, criticizing him for some actual faults would likely be more effective

[loyalsister]

2. He gets it

I think he's sensitive to our issues because he relates to the minority perspective.
It usually takes demonstrations to get them to talk to us. People with disabilities are the lowest on the totem pole.
We are what no one wanted to be accused of being when they were fighting for their rights.

Women- we have been accused of being less capable than men for any number of reasons that seemed to mean that we were "less healthy" somehow. We're "prone to fainting. We have that monthly thing, we're more emotional, etc.

African Americans have historically been accused of having physical characteristics that influenced intelligence.

It was only recently (I can't remember which version made the correction) that the DSM manual declassified homosexuality from mental illness status.

The immediate defense is but I'm not one of them. While everyone is busy fighting being classified as disabled building up an understandable sense of antipathy.
Probably because remnants of the accusations of belonging with us, some of that antipathy has persisted.

[Hippo_Tron]

7. The notion of having to fight to be classified as disabled is the problem

IMO disability is merely a function of technology and society. People without 20-20 vision could be considered disabled and probably would be if there wasn't readily available inexpensive technology to fix the problem. One day there will be readily available inexpensive technology to fix blindness and paraplegia as well. In the meantime, we shouldn't be asking "What is disabled and what isn't disabled" we should be asking "How can we adjust our society to create as much equality as practically possible for all people, regardless of their particular disability?" We're too focused on categorizing people based on their disability. We need to focus on the fact that we are all just people, and disability is nothing more than different genetics or circumstances.

[loyalsister]

8. Attitudes....

I see what you are saying. But, here's what happened.
The definition of "disabled" according to the federal government is something along the lines of: "unable to perform tasks that would provide them to seek gainful employment."

In other words "unable to work." But, there are a lot of people with disabilities who work.
So, the court winds up in a conundrum when they have this federal definition that runs into conflict with the actual factual impairment sitting in front of them, and they have yet to resolve it.

They won't until they get this ticket to work thing worked out and and have some seriously evolved ways of thinking about disability. I don't know if they can do it or not, but Obama has been on the right track.

I understand where you're coming from, but the problem is that if we don't acknowledge our disability we aren't likely to get the accomodations some of us require.
For some of us, it isn't simply technology. Sometimes we have to ask for some arrangments that will accomodate a sensory difference or a difference that is hidden.
If we are the only ones acknowledging our disabilities and asking for attitude changes despite rather than "because we can function like you if you give us the technology" the rest of us get left out.

Some of us are Disabled and Proud.

[jillan]

4. Wait a minute - that law was passed in the 1980's and I believe thankyou to Dodd.

Very confused reading this:shrug:

google: IDEA

[ripple]

5. Much of the funding was cut under Bush

and the republican controlled Congress- the Deficit Reduction Act has hit community service providers very hard, forcing many to close their doors.

I appreciate what Dodd did on this, but it doesn't mean shit if there isn't money allocated to make it happen.

As Biden has mentioned more than once, "show me where you spend your money, and I'll show you your priorities."

As a case manager for people with developmental disabilities, I appreciate the fact that Obama recognizes the problem and seeks to address it.

[allisonthegreat]

11. I appreciate him addressing it and

maybe others will as well as long as it stays in the for front...

[loyalsister]

6. without the funding the law is meaningless.

He is talking about fund IDEA

Obama is going beyond IDEA and relating the discussion of ordinary education to disability as a minority issue.

He also understands the problems with the considerable erosion of the ADA.

[jillan]

9. IDEA has not been cut. Infact, it keeps getting better.

My daughter has special needs, and she is not lacking for anything in education or activities.
It's really pretty amazing.

[loyalsister]

10. It is fined tuned by the states

States make up the difference when there are shortcomings in the federal budget.
Your state government must have made it a priority.
That is fortunate for you.

[Debi]

12. IDEA has never been fully funded by the federal govenment

I think it's at 17-18% now and was supposed to be at 40% when it was passed (I think) in 1974. States and local school districts have always picked up the slack for the federal government.

[Debi]

13. Is he the first to do this?

He's the first that I've seen. Problem isn't the Presidential candidates (Dean was very progressive on Disability inclusion and rights) it's the Congress that stalls (thank Tom Harkin and Tony Coelho - both personally affected by disabilities or we'd never have seen the ADA).

[JohnLocke]

14. Edwards has a plan

*Breaking Down Barriers: Connecting People With Disabilities To Economic Opportunity
*Edwards Recognizes The Anniversary Of The Americans With Disabilities Act, Calls for strengthening the law
*John Edwards For President Campaign Holds Disability Policy Forum In Portsmouth

Edwards alos has a good plan on autism.

[Debi]

15. Thank you for the info!

:hi:

Edwards is doing very well here in Iowa - I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up #1 on January 3rd.