Dear NACDD Colleagues:
It was hard to miss the excitement during the Democratic National Convention this summer when so much attention and focus was on people with disabilities. Yesterday just added to the excitement when Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gave a speech in Orlando, Florida that largely focused on the needs of people and families with disabilities. This is truly groundbreaking for the disability community to garner such attention both by a presidential candidate and by the media. The day was capped off by the premier of a new sitcom on ABC television called “Speechless”. In case you aren’t aware, it is a show about a family with a son who has cerebral palsy and is based on a true family. With NACDD’s offices being inside of UCP’s national office I was able to ask some UCP staff, who are people with CP, what they thought of the show. The responses were, “Loved it – it definitely reflected what life in MY family was like.” Words like, funny, touching and real were all used in the conversation. Kudos ABC!
I am attaching here the links to today’s New York Times and Washington Post above the fold coverage on Secretary Clinton’s speech yesterday which includes quotes from several of NACDD’s colleagues in our field. Together we have all been working with candidates of all parties to get them all to focus on the needs of people with disabilities and their families. While I remind everyone that NACDD is a nonpartisan organization, only one presidential candidate is currently making it clear that she recognizes people with disabilities are a very important voting bloc and that issues such as health care, housing, transportation, employment, and caregiving are high on her agenda. I believe that all candidates should be sharing their ideas on how they will improve systems and supports that will lead us to more inclusive and welcoming communities where everyone can learn, work and live. The New York Times andthe Washington Post.
I am energized today to see the disability community finally recognized as a key voting bloc and know that many of you are out there educating and informing candidates of all parties about what matters most to you. As the election season continues on I encourage you all to keep your local, state and national candidates of all parties aware of what matters to you and ask them to tell you what they plan to do to create more inclusive communities. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if NACDD can help. Please remember to frequently check our voting website www.onevotenow.org as it is updated regularly.
Best,
Donna
Donna A. Meltzer, CEO
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
1825 K Street, NW Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
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