>Delivered-To: [log in to unmask]
>X-Gmail-Fetch-Info: [log in to unmask] 1 mymail.rit.edu 995 nrcgsh
>Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:18:37 -0400 (EDT)
>From: ADA Watch and the National Coalition for Disability Rights
><[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Disability Organizations Outraged by McCain-Palin Rally Attacks on
> "the Disabled."
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-to: [log in to unmask]
>Envelope-From: <[log in to unmask]>
>X_email_KEY: 784605563
>X-RIT-Received-From: 129.21.3.39 mySpam
>X-AuditID: 81150327-aa976bb000006b9e-ca-490b3ded5325
>X-Brightmail-Tracker: AAAAAgxxaVIMcXI4
>X-OriginalArrivalTime: 31 Oct 2008 17:18:57.0307 (UTC)
>FILETIME=[C1F8EEB0:01C93B7C]
>
>ADAWatch.org
>National Coalition for Disability Rights
>1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300
>Washington, DC 20006
>202-448-9928 - <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>
>NEWS RELEASE
>
>October 31, 2008
>
>
>
>Disability Rights Organizations Express Outrage Over Attacks at
>McCain-Palin Rally
>
>
>
>Contacts:
>
>Jim Ward, Founder and President
>
>202-415-4753 or <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>Marcie Roth, Executive Director
>
>301-717-7447 or [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>(Washington, DC) The National Coalition for Disability Rights (NCDR)
>pushed back today against the McCain-Palin campaign for ridiculing the
>legal rights of people with disabilities. News reports describe
>McCain-Palin campaign representative Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo), joining Vice
>Presidential candidate Sarah Palin at a rally in Rush Limbaugh's hometown
>of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, mocking Presidential candidate Senator Barak
>Obama for stating that he's looking to nominate judges who empathize with
>"the disabled."
>
>
>
>"It's Halloween and it seems that Sarah Palin's mask of support for people
>with "special needs" is slipping. Despite past pandering to people with
>disabilities, McCain-Palin are actually opposed to vital disability
>legislation like the Community Choice Act and they want to appoint judges
>who will further roll back the civil rights protections of the Americans
>with Disabilities Act," declared NCDR's founder and president, Jim Ward.
>
>
>
>NPR's Nina Totenberg has reported that McCain-Palin's and conservatives'
>"most oft-mentioned prospects" for nomination to the Supreme Court include
>Ohio Judge Jeffrey Sutton. Sutton was opposed by hundreds of disability
>organizations when he was nominated by President Bush after successfully
>weakening the ADA with states' rights arguments. As a sitting judge, he
>has recently supported the execution of criminals with developmental
>disabilities and has undermined the Help America Vote Act(HAVA).
>
>
>
>Disability rights advocates are further incensed that the McCain-Palin
>campaign has reframed this civil rights struggle, one founded in concepts
>of equality, dignity and self-respect, as an issue of "special needs."
>
>
>
>Disability rights advocate, Steve Gold states, "Yes we need support
>services. Yes we need inclusive education. Yes we need integrated
>employment. Yes we need equal rights. This not "special". These needs are
>based on us, people with disabilities, equal members of our communities.
>We are not inspirational nor are we "special". We are PROUD PEOPLE WITH
>DISABILITIES who should push back when anyone describes us as anything but
>equal members of our communities."
>
>
>The National Coalition for Disability Rights is a nonpartisan nonprofit
>that does not endorse political candidates. We are a coalition of
>national, state and local disability, civil rights and social justice
>organizations united to protect and promote the human rights of children
>and adults with physical and mental disabilities.
>
>
>
>###
>
>
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Norman Coombs [log in to unmask]
CEO EASI Equal Access to Software and Information
phone (949) 855-4852 (NOTE pacific time zone)
****READ ABOUT THE DICK BANKS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP:
http://easi.cc/scholarship.htm
|
