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When he came to two women in
wheelchairs, he patted them on their heads. The incident received substantial
media coverage. No explanation was given for the cancellation of the sign
language interpreter. A campaign worker issued a brief and vague apology.
Second, many advocates wanted
Senator Kerry to raise a disability issue during the national domestic policy
debate. It would have been recognized as a milestone in the disability rights
movement. When this didn't transpire, it created a natural "let down." Third,
at the same time the disability community was "hungry" for a sign of
commitment, the President and Governor took action on two important disability
issues within the cusp of Election Day.
President Bush signed the Assistive
Technology Act (ATA) of 2004 on October 25th. It continued funding for state
ATA programs and eliminated what was an expired sunset provision. New York
State Governor George Pataki signed a long-awaited Medicaid Waiver bill into
law for people with disabilities on October 19, 2004. The "waiver" addressed
nursing facility transition and diversion consistent with the 1999 Olmstead
U.S. Supreme Court decision. However, the Governor ultimately had control over
its enactment and when the bill would be delivered to his desk for
consideration. In the end, the new laws represented two tangible results that
the disability community could appreciate two weeks before going to the polls.
Williams offered up the following
analogy, "Imagine that you get shoved out of the lunch line each day. When you
finally get your turn, the cafeteria worker says, 'Sorry, we're out of food.
Try again tomorrow.' While their response was polite and the outcome
unintentional, you begin to resent the situation and starve in the process.
After a while, 'sorry' doesn't cut it. The real error lies in always choosing
to serve someone else first."
Williams concluded, "The fact that
people who self-identified with a disability voted below the state's popular
vote for President demonstrates that the constituency doesn't just give its
vote away. It has to be earned."
In addition to a wide variety of
demographic, opinion and voter preference responses, the Zogby Poll raised
discussions of how to best address the "digital divide" within the disability
community and how voters self-identify as people with disabilities. The
"digital divide" refers to socio-economic gaps between communities that have
computer and Internet access and those who do not. |
