Dear Vice President Biden,
National ADAPT commends you for your newly released Plan to Help Americans with Disabilities. Your plan demonstrates an understanding of the discrimination that people with disabilities face and a commitment to our rights. However, there is still work to be done.
In order to truly mobilize the disability vote and demonstrate your respect and commitment to the Disability Community, you must hire a Senior Advisor on Disability Issues for your campaign, to help you engage respectfully with the Disability Community, to be a liaison to the Disability Community, and to assure true accessibility at all of your campaign events.
The language you use about disability in your written disability plan is far more respectful than the words you use when referencing the Disability Community in your speeches. In your speeches you have claimed that “everyone” has a disability, that disabilities should be “overcome,” and that disabled people are “not defined” by our disabilities. These statements are harmful. It is not only inaccurate to say that “everyone” has a disability, but it undermines every person with a disability, and makes light of our disability identities. Suggesting that disabilities are negative attributes to overcome is ableist, when in fact what we must overcome are the barriers of stigma, discrimination, and inequitable systems. Declaring that we are “not defined” by our disabilities ignores the great many people who are disabled and proud, who want to be seen and respected as disabled people. A Senior Advisor on Disability Issues would help you choose respectful language as you prepare your speeches.
While your disability plan is comprehensive, it is not complete.
ADAPT demands:
1. Housing; While the plan refers to affordable, accessible, integrated housing, it offers no specific plan to bring housing stock into line with the number of accessible units needed. The plan proposes to further invest in “supportive housing” which obligates tenants to use services or risk losing housing, conditions long opposed by disability advocates.There must be an increased number of affordable accessible integrated housing units independent of service delivery.
2. Ending the Institutional Bias; The institutional bias exists across all payment and policy systems. Institutional entitlements and preferences embedded in federal law and regulations must end. Aggressive investment in community infrastructure must be concrete, specific and responsive to the needs of individual communities and the people who live there.
3. Workforce Development; Increased wages are a start in addressing the personal care workforce shortage in the community, but the recruitment and retention of personal care workers only begins with dollars and cents. A comprehensive approach to the infrastructure that will develop a quality workforce as demands increase is needed.
4. Covid-19; The section of your Covid Plan referencing people with disabilities and their care takers in the community must include the provision of sufficient personal protective equipment for both of these parties.
Thank you again, for finally releasing a disability plan. We look forward to working with a Biden Administration, and your Director of Disability Policy to assure that your campaign commitments become our reality.
Sincerely,
National ADAPT