Organizing for America

Disability Rights as Human Rights: Obama '08

Friends,

I'd like to take a moment to share with you why I'm supporting Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic nominee for President.

I'll be 28 in June, so I've had the opportunity to vote in two national elections.  During both election cycles, at some point during either the general or primary campaigns, I felt as if I was just choosing the better of two bad choices.  At no point in my brief civic life have I felt that the policies put forth by the candidates would affect me personally; at no point did I see in any of the candidates authentic leadership qualities or a true desire to bring about positive change. I do see these things in Senator Obama. I also see, for the first time, the opportunity to vote for someone whose policies would very likely have a direct, positive impact on my life.

When I set about learning about the candidates' policy proposals about 6 months ago, I already knew I'd be voting Democratic.  I assumed, radical feminist that I am, that I'd be voting for Hillary Clinton.  And I must be very clear: while she is not my first choice, I have nothing but respect for Sen. Clinton; I think she is brilliant, well-spoken, and driven, and I will fully support her should she gain the nomination.  However, within seconds of visiting Sen. Obama's website, I knew that he was really something different.

You see, on each candidate's site, there is a section labeled "Issues," which allows you to read about the dozen or so topics that candidate gives top priority.  Imagine my surprise when I saw, on Sen. Obama's site, "Disability" listed as one of these prominent issues, alongside Iraq, the economy, and education!  As it turns out, Sen. Obama's father-in-law was diagnosed with MS as a young man, and so Sen. Obama knows intimately the impact that disability has on individuals and on families.  His plan addresses needs that are very real - *my* needs - like the ridiculous, nearly insurmountable, expense of independent living; the fact that there are tens of thousands of people like myself who want to enter the workforce but will risk losing our health insurance if we do; the chronic lack of funding and enforcement for the Americans with Disabilities Act; and more.  It's been a generation or so since those of us with severe physical disabilities stopped being hidden away in institutions, but as far as Washington goes, we're still invisible. So, finally: a candidate who "sees" me and the millions of other Americans with disabilities!

To be fair, Sen. Clinton also has a small set of policy proposals concerning people with disabilities.  While her proposals are good ones, in my opinion, they do not go far enough to really bring us into the broader society.  Also, once I found the page on her site dedicated to this issue, I was saddened to see that it was lumped under the broader heading of "Health Care," a subtext that perpetuates the outdated worldview that medicalizes disability and sees us only in terms of our deficiencies.  In reality, this is a civil rights issue, something that Sen. Obama and his team seem to better understand and articulate.

There is one more related reason that I am supporting Sen. Obama: I want to see these proposals actually put into action.  I fear that Sen. Clinton faces too much resistance from Congressional Republicans to get much of her own agenda passed, especially an issue such as this that she doesn't put front-and-center.  I truly believe that Sen. Obama can help heal the bipartisan divisions in our country, and therefore, I think we have a much better shot at seeing his plans for including people with disabilities in every aspect of public life fully realized. In short, I support Barack Obama because he supports me.

I've set a personal fundraising goal of $1500 to help support and strengthen Sen. Obama's campaign, and I ask you today to join me in reaching this goal. I have no doubt that if Barack Obama becomes President, the entire world will benefit. So regardless of how much you're able to donate, consider it an investment: an investment in a brighter, more accessible, more hopeful, and more equitable future for us all.

Thanks for your time and support!

- Becky