Subject: Disability Issues Spotlighted on Presidential Campaign Trail
From: Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2016 23:00:34 +0000

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Hello Luis!

Have you felt it? There&rsquo;s a noticeable shift http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=21&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 in the content of the 2016 presidential campaign as Democratic hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are taking turns pushing the disability agenda &ndash; a first for any presidential campaign.

Five states - Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island - head to the polls tomorrow and candidates on both sides of the aisle are pulling out all the stops to up their delegate counts.

The disability vote can play a large part in that.

Fully one-out-of-five voters Americans (56 million) has a disability and 52 percent of likely voters have a loved one with a disability so if any candidate wants to be elected president of the United States, they are going to need the votes of people with disabilities. Presidential candidates need to work for all of us. They need to represent all of us.

Both Clinton and Sanders were quick to complete the #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire. Neither of the leading Republican candidates have responded to our numerous requests to fill out the questionnaire (though Ohio Gov. John Kasich has answered some of the questions). 

RespectAbility is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes as voters go to the polls. Its groundbreaking publication, The RespectAbility Report http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=72&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0, covers the intersection between politics and disability, and has covered 100 percent of the candidates on both sides of the aisle. Their reporters are people with disabilities themselves, and people who care deeply about disability issues. 

Please take a look at some recent coverage of the candidates on a variety of disability issues from subminimum wage to the Disability Integration Act and more.Thanks,

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi
President, www.RespectAbilityUSA.org
Publisher, www.TheRespectAbilityReport.org http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=20&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 State Disability Voter Guides ReleasedAs voters prepare to head to the polls in five states tomorrow, RespectAbility released its state-specific Disability Voter Guides. The #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire was designed for people with disabilities (PwDs) and those who love them to know where candidates stand on the issues. The questionnaire asked all of the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle to comment on 16 disability questions on issues relating to employment and stigma. Former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders responded by addressing all of the questions, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich filled out parts of the questionnaire. They each have significantly different views on the issues. Despite numerous requests in person and by phone and email, the campaigns of Sen. Ted Cruz and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump have not yet filled out the questionnaire. Read More: Connecticut http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=60&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0, Delaware http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=53&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0, Maryland http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=12&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0, Pennsylvania http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=40&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0, Rhode Island http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=24&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 
 http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=19&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 Spotlight on Maryland's Senate Race:
Democrats Edwards, Van Hollen Differ in Records on Fighting for People with DisabilitiesIn what has been described as a race centered on &ldquo;identity politics,&rdquo; Maryland Democrats face a significant choice as they look to replace an icon of the U.S. Senate. Whoever wins on Tuesday will go on to fight for the right to represent all Marylanders, including the more than 300,000 working-age Marylanders who have a disability. While neither Rep. Donna Edwards nor Rep. Chris Van Hollen include disability as part of their identity, both candidates have voted for bills that benefit people with disabilities while serving in the House of Representatives. Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=22&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=28&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 Clinton, Sanders on Subminimum WageEarlier this month, Clinton and Sanders began taking turns trying to one-up each other beginning with subminimum wage.

&ldquo;When it comes to jobs, we&rsquo;ve got to figure out how we get the minimum wage up and include people with disabilities in the minimum wage,&rdquo; Clinton said in Madison, Wisconsin. &quot;When people talk about raising the minimum wage, they don't always talk about the legal loopholes that we have in it and I want to get rid of those and I want to get rid of that for people with disabilities too.&quot; Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=13&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 and Watch the Video http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=10&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=73&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 A few days later, Sanders, who had previously called for the raise of minimum wage to $15, joined the rally call to raise the minimum wage for all workers &ndash; including people with disabilities.

&ldquo;This campaign is about building on these successes so that everyone in this country can enjoy the dignity and basic economic security that comes from a living wage, no matter what state they live in,&rdquo; Sanders said in a statement as Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour in New York and California respectively. &ldquo;That includes ending the subminimum wage for tipped workers and persons with disabilities.&rdquo; Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=46&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 and Watch a Video http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=77&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 of Sanders calling for the end of discrimination against all people. http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=74&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 Focus on The Disability Integration ActSanders has signed on as a cosponsor of the Disability Integration Act (DIA) and Clinton released an official statement on her website announcing support of the bill, but none of the Republican candidates for president have stated if they support the monumental bill introduced by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) that would greatly affect the lives of people with disabilities.

&ldquo;In this campaign, I have committed to improving opportunities for people with disabilities to live in integrated community settings, consistent with the full promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court&rsquo;s historic Olmstead decision,&rdquo; Clinton said in an official statement earlier this month. &ldquo;As President, I am committed to ensuring that these promises are fulfilled. That is why I support the Disability Integration Act.&rdquo; Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=58&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 

Later that day, Sanders signed on as a cosponsor of the DIA, which will ensure that people in need of long-term services and supports such as personal care attendants can receive these services while living at home or in the community instead of in an institutionalized setting if they wish to do so. Studies have shown that it is more cost effective to do so than to live in institutionalized settings such as nursing homes where people with disabilities can no longer participate and contribute to society by working and paying taxes. Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=1&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 

Then, Kasich was approached by members of ADAPT who asked the governor to answer if he supports the DIA. &ldquo;We have worked aggressively to get people out of these institutions and in the community, and in the course of doing that, by the way, you get criticized,&rdquo; Kasich said, without giving a yes or no answer that ADAPT was seeking. His campaign had previously sent a letter saying he does not comment on legislation. Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=18&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 and Watch the Video http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=33&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=59&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 A week later, ADAPT activists and other disability rights advocates from Texas and across the country contacted the Senate office and campaign to ask if Cruz will cosponsor the DIA, which he has yet to comment on. ADAPT activists attended Cruz's campaign event in Rochester, but the senator did not address the group. Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=76&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 Disability Voters Looking for More From Cruz and TrumpThe Republican frontrunners have not paid much attention to the interests of the nation&rsquo;s largest minority: voters with disabilities. 

If businessman Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination, the disability community could see a huge contrast between the two candidates. Trump has been widely criticized for making fun of reporters with disabilities, evicting veterans with disabilities from outside Trump Tower, and using the word &ldquo;stupid&rdquo; interchangeably with &ldquo;loser&rdquo; and &ldquo;incompetent.&rdquo; This is despite the fact that people with intellectual disabilities can be very good at specific tasks. When he is asked a question about disability issues - from employment to drug addiction to Autism - his replies often are short without any specifics. He has yet to announce his specific plans on employment, education and a wide variety of other issues important to people with disabilities and their families. Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=31&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 and Watch the Video http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=30&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=81&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 Likewise, while Sen. Ted Cruz has responded to RespectAbility's questions while on the trail and has spoken about a family member's struggles with drug addiction http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=8&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0, he has not laid out any specific plans. &ldquo;When it comes to people with disabilities, I give you my commitment,&quot; Cruz said in January. &quot;I will do everything I can as president to expand their independence, to expand their ability to work meaningfully, to empower them to have access and the ability to work and provide for themselves. I think that is a human dignity that every human being should be able and is entitled to be able to experience.&quot; Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=41&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 and Watch the Video http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=45&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=29&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 Until the Republican frontrunners address the disability community in a meaningful manner, in the general election, the Republican Party could cede the disability vote, despite the fact that polling shows the disability community is a swing voter group. Read More http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=14&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 A Message To Voters with Disabilities and Those Who Care About PwDs http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=15&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 One of the most important parts of being an American is the right to vote and the ability to vote for somebody who cares about the issues that you care about. As a person with a disability myself, and as the parent of someone with multiple disabilities, I know that disability issues really matter. Previously, presidential candidates have not fully addressed these issues, so we&rsquo;re very proud to be part of a large national coalition of terrific nonprofit disability groups that is working to reach out to all of the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle. Because we are all nonprofit organizations, we will not be endorsing any of these candidates. We want voters who care about people with disabilities to have the information they need to make the choices that they need to make so that our country can be a better country for all people with disabilities, and without disabilities, for the future. http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=78&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 The RespectAbility Report, a project of RespectAbility, is a nonpartisan political commentary on the 2016 U.S. elections with a focus on disability issues. RespectAbility is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. We have covered all of the Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls and you can read more about your favorite candidate on our blog http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=54&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0.Questions? [email-masked] mailto:[email-masked]?subject= http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=79&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=32&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0   http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=50&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0   http://links.grassrootstargeting.mkt7273.com/ctt?kn=37&ms=MjUzMzE2ODQS1&r=MjI2MzE1OTQzOTEyS0&b=2&j=NzgzOTM2NTcxS0&mt=1&rt=0 

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