Special Needs
According to the 2000 U.S. Census data, more than 13.2% of individuals in the 10th Congressional District are classified as having a disability. Any member of our society can become disabled at any point in time; this is the largest minority group in the country. As a nation, we have a duty to meet the needs of this population in every aspect of their lives. Policy decisions should be looked at through the lens of the disabled community. As a Member of Congress, I will consider individuals with disabilities when making all applicable legislative decisions – on all areas including transportation, housing, healthcare, emergency preparedness, poverty, education, employment and the environment.
While there are economic reasons to justify responsible, proactive federal and state programs and protections for people who have disabilities, the compelling motivation is a moral one. A civilized society, a country founded on the principle of equality, will fight to preserve the rights of all of its citizens to live a productive and dignified life in the community. As a Member of Congress, I will be a steadfast advocate for equality and a friend to all people who have disabilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The American principle of equality means that people with disabilities deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and to be given the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers. The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act which took effect in 1991 strives to accomplish, “equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self sufficiency.” But the fight for accessibility and ‘reasonable’ workplace accommodations continues for all people with disabilities – due in part to loopholes in the law and, from the disability perspective, losses of protection from the courts. As the Baby Boom generation ages, more and more individuals are going to require mobility assistance, hearing amplification systems and visual modifications. It will be all the more critical to bring our accessibility enforcement up to the high standard of equality. As a Member of Congress, I will fight for full implementation and enforcement of the ADA.
Special Education
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) goes a long way to ensure the free and appropriate education of children who have disabilities from the ages 3 to 21. However, in actual practice, states are being forced to make up the difference of the federal government’s shortfalls in funding, with mixed results. The 2007 federal budget for special education proposes that the federal government fulfill only 17% of its funding commitment. Without funding and resources, IDEA’s directive that people who have disabilities be placed in the least restrictive environment has become another meaningless mandate. This needs to change – without proper funding no program can fulfill its promise.
Community Integration/Housing
People with disabilities have a right to receive publicly funded services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. It is substantially more cost effective for individuals who have disabilities to live in the community. Currently, Medicaid has a bias towards placing individuals in institutionalized settings. Research has shown that when individuals who have disabilities live in the community, they are likely to be less economically dependent on government subsidies. Currently under-funded programs such as Section 811 housing, which applies specifically to low-income people who have disabilities, have the potential to make it easier for these individuals to obtain affordable housing. Obtaining affordable housing remains the most preventing factor to full participation within a community.
Employment/Services for Disabled Adults
Education is guaranteed until the age of 21 for individuals with disabilities and school districts are required by the IDEA to provide a ‘free and appropriate public education’ to individuals with disabilities. When these individuals turn 21, services are cut off – despite their continuing needs. Proactive and innovative educational services should continue to exist for adults with disabilities.
Educating and aiding disabled adults is a basic issue of economics. If we empower people who have disabilities to work in our communities, they will be contributing members of our economy. It is better for individuals to be productive members of the workforce than to solely rely on the government for assistance. We need to create incentives for businesses to hire people with disabilities and we need to make sure that individuals with disabilities are not denied job opportunities due to an employer’s fear of the cost of providing reasonable accommodations.
Emergency Preparedness
During Hurricane Katrina, America and the world watched with horror as many individuals living in nursing homes and other residential facilities in New Orleans were abandoned or neglected both during and after Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. must be prepared to assist the hundreds of thousands of individuals who have disabilities living in residential facilities in the event of a national emergency. Emergency personnel should be trained in the unique issues involved in emergency preparedness for people with disabilities.
See Videos of Dan at the Media Center