Disability-Related Questions for Politicians

Health care. A shaky economy. Unemployment.

Those are the hot-button issues being debated during this presidential race, and as usual, the candidates take such broad stands that even the most complicated issue becomes a one-size-fits-all sound bite.

But citizens with disabilities (there are 54 million of them) would like some specifics before they cast their votes. It’s not just that the devil is in the details, but that their futures may very well depend on those details.

Since our job as journalists is to ask the questions, it’s also our job to get the specifics on the record. Unfortunately, it’s rare that a reporter asks a disability-related question, but it’s time to start.

Digging deeper means not just reporting that vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has a baby with Down syndrome, but also reporting on what families in that situation need to raise their children. For many families, the need is great.

Disability advocacy groups distributed some questions to the presidential candidates [Word file] before the National Forum on Disability Issues in Columbus, Ohio in July; additional questions were asked at the forum. Little has been written about these issues since then, and little has been written about the positions on disability issues in the Democratic and Republican platforms.

You’re not covering the presidential campaign? Politicians seeking local and state offices should also go on the record on these issues.

Based on those questions, here are some things you can ask politicians:

Health care

• Should Medicare Part D be changed to ensure that people with disabilities are fully included?

• Do your health care proposals include coverage specific to the needs of individuals with disabilities?

• Should there be changes in the health and rehabilitation services offered to veterans with disabilities?

• What is your position on federal assistance for those who need home- and community-based long-term services and support?

• Should Social Security and Social Security Disability Insurance be changed so beneficiaries can be part of the work world?

• Can anything be done to increase the coordination between Medicare and Medicaid policies?

Education

• Is there a need for a special provision in No Child Left Behind to make sure the needs of students with disabilities are included in accountability measures?

• Do you support full federal funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and federal enforcement of the law?

• What can be done on the federal level to increase the graduation rate of students with disabilities?

Housing

• Will your administration address the lack of affordable, accessible and integrated housing for low- and moderate-income people with disabilities and their families?

• How will you assure the vigorous implementation of all fair housing laws?

Transportation

• How could your administration address the high unemployment rate of Americans with disabilities?

• According to the EEOC, between 1993 and 2004, federal workers with significant disabilities left the federal workforce at a rate more than seven times the general federal workforce. Will your administration actively seek qualified workers with disabilities for the federal workforce?