Why the GOP is Ignoring the Disabled

In an election that has all the trappings of being the most contentious in recent history, GOP candidates have steadfastly ignored the issues affecting disabled Americans at every step along the way, and have taken little flack for doing so. Composed of over 50 million Americans, the disabled community represents a huge segment of the voting populace. Its members have been drastically affected by the federal government's inability to protect them from discrimination under the American Disabilities Act (ADA)--a statute that has been eviscerated by a narrow Supreme Court interpretation--leading to overt and legal discrimination in the workplace. Of the severely disabled, over 26% reside in poverty and only 13% are able to work. However, thanks to the passage of the Help America Vote act, every disabled individual--including the blind and deaf--will be provided with a reasonable opportunity to vote in 2008.

For these reasons, it seems strange that the Republicans appear to be surrendering the disabled vote to the Democratic Party, but their actions yield few if any other conclusions. In April of this year, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) sent out a packet of questions to all of the major presidential candidates. The inquiry was a collaborative effort that included the National Council on Independent Living and Self Advocates Become Empowered. Five Democrats, including frontrunners Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards, returned the the survey completed.

None of the Republicans candidates responded.

In early November, the AAPD hosted a candidate forum in New Hampshire where hundreds of individuals with disabilities came to listen to presidential hopefuls talk about their plans to provide equality, opportunity, and access to the disabled. "People with disabilities have a right to be full participants in all aspects of society," said AAPD President Andrew Imparto while at the forum. "We need leadership from the top," he added.

So, who showed up at the AAPD's presidential forum?