Will anything change under an Obama administration for people with disabilities? That is the fundamental question people with disabilities are grappling with. Will there be meaningful change that is measureable in four years? Or will it be more of the same, repackaged with a Democratic gift wrap? There is possibly a bright spot to the beginning of this four year journey with the first African American President of the Nation, he actually acknowledged people with disabilities in his victory speech. For a few seconds the world thought about the existence of an overlooked and underserved portion of the United States populace. But will acknowledgement lead to action in a depressed economy? The worst economy in a century will pose a serious challenge to this President and an even greater challenge to our community. Will we matter?
There are so many questions facing the new President when he takes office in January. Many to which we may not know the answer to for years to come. So what exactly is it that people with disabilities want? I suppose primarily the community as a whole is seeking a President who keeps the promises made to them; someone who understands the importance of inclusion and diversity in their Administration and acts on it.
Too many politicians understand the importance of diversity but forget to implement it when they come into office. I have served on election campaigns for successful candidates who promised much to people with disabilities and eventually delivered little, if anything. Our diversity as a group makes us great, we are Latino, White, African American, Jewish, Moslem, male,female but it is also our Achilles heel. We become easy to forget as we fade back into distinct groups and are no longer organized around supporting our favorite candidate. Trying to track us as a group really is like “nailing Jello to the wall”. We are a mass of ideologies and ideas with a poor track record of long term cohesiveness. What I am saying is that we can come together as a non-homogeneous group for certain issues, i.e. national elections, but we do not sustain that group push.
That lack of constant push I would argue is what separates us from other groups when it comes to overall empowerment. It is also what we need, to ensure that politicians do not forget about or overlook our issues. I am not saying that we cannot do this. We in fact have a track record of successful pushes for the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Work Incentives Act of 1990 just to name a few. Success is achievable.
Regardless of how many promises are made it is us as a group that can make sure they are kept. We as a group do not have the luxury of waiting till the next election or the next law to pass before we act. There are commonalities which unite us all, regardless of our racial, religious, or ethnic background. We must continue to unite on common ground as we move forward. Issues such as housing, employment, health care, transportation, and education connect us all, but affect people with disabilities disproportionately. Poverty is the direct outcome of the neglect experienced by our community by past Administrations, who promised jobs, health care and inclusion. It is not in our best interest to meld into the background and hope for the best. We must maintain that commonality of struggle and that take no prisoner attitude to ensure promises are kept this time.
In my last blog about Sarah Palin I spoke about the convenience of using people with disabilities when it is politically expedient. After all many of us can make a great photo OP even better. Regardless of our feelings and likes or dislikes we must begin holding office holders accountable. With that in mind, here are a few things that you can do to ensure that our views and needs are not put aside until the next election:
· Find the commonalities which unite your group with other groups such as employment, education, or health care.
· Agree to push issues together which benefit all such as, stem cell research or handicapped parking bills.
· When politicians come into office in January 2008 write them a letter as to what you expect to be as it regards people with disabilities.
We cannot let four more years go by without action and cohesion. It’s your life. Live it!
Blogroll, Disability, Disability Advocacy | admin | 
December 24, 2008 6:59 pm | 
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