40 Million Americans... http://www.40million.org/blog Speaking with our votes Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:06:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 en Update http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/25/update/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/25/update/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:06:12 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/25/update/ Meg  and I *sincerely* apologize for the lack of updates.  But after seeing AAPD’s election site, which has a good portion of what we wanted to provide, we’ve decided on a change of plans.

We’re going to type up a line by line translation of HAVA (Help America vote Act).  Our community is systematically left out of the voting process for a myriad of reasons and the first step in reclaiming our rights is learning exactly what our rights are so we can fight for them.

We haven’t began this yet as we’ve been dealing with various health issues, but we will start ASAP.  If anyone here would like to help we’d appreciate it.  If so, leave a comment or send us an email to let us know.

]]> http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/25/update/feed/ Clinton Addresses Disability http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/06/clinton-addresses-disability/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/06/clinton-addresses-disability/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:31:31 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/06/clinton-addresses-disability/ Here is Clinton’s site where she specifically addresses disability issues.  It was not included in the comprehensive list because it was just found.

]]> http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/06/clinton-addresses-disability/feed/ Obama’s Comprehensive Plan http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/05/obamas-comprehensive-plan/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/05/obamas-comprehensive-plan/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:34:26 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/05/obamas-comprehensive-plan/ At our LiveJournal community, Meg was nice enough to convert Obama’s more comprehensive attention to disability rights into text format (for those who have trouble with PDFs or have older screen readers).  I’m posting this separately so that it is easier to access and not because I am being partisan or pushing one candidate over another.

The text version is here.

]]> http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/05/obamas-comprehensive-plan/feed/ Canidates Address Disability http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/05/canidates-address-disability/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/05/canidates-address-disability/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:25:21 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/05/canidates-address-disability/ This is a bit of overflow as far as the questionnaire answers posted earlier, but it is a comprehensive view of how different candidates address disability. Meg is the one who gets credit for compiling everything, I’m jost posting it here. She’d like to add that she has been trying to compile this information for quite a while, but it still, unfortunately, does not exist in any comprehensive format. “I’m talking about disability rights - including but not limited to health care, equal opportunity employment, education, voting rights and the like.”

Here’s the link to our LiveJournal community where it was originally posted.

]]> http://www.40million.org/blog/2008/02/05/canidates-address-disability/feed/ And Finally, An Update… http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/and-finally-an-update/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/and-finally-an-update/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2007 03:59:05 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/and-finally-an-update/ We *sincerely* apologize for the huge gap in communication. Neither Meg or I have felt well, and I’m still shook by the death of a close family friend in April. I hate making excuses, but heath issues get in the way sometimes (and major stress exacerbates that, too).

I have uploaded a new index page to our website that includes a link to our blog as well as other important sites. I have also added some Justice For All updates on the blog (as well as deleting the spam “comments”).

Now we’d like your ideas to get outside support so we can get this off the ground. We have a letter to send and a few ideas of who to contact, but we’d like your input. So far we have:

  • Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA)
  • Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)
  • Former Senator Max Cleland (D-GA)
  • Disabled Veteran’s of America

    Those we contact must not be directly associated with a candidate.

    ]]> http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/and-finally-an-update/feed/ Politico.com Article http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/politicocom-article/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/politicocom-article/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2007 03:14:03 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/politicocom-article/ The article, Young Disability Groups Build Presence, gives more hope that our generation will make great strides when it comes to our strength as a voting block.

    Read it here.

    ]]>     http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/politicocom-article/feed/     Presidential Forum a Success! (Reposted with Permission) http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/presidential-forum-a-success-reposted-with-permission/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/presidential-forum-a-success-reposted-with-permission/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:31:47 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/presidential-forum-a-success-reposted-with-permission/ Over 600 New Hampshire voters with disabilities and their families and friends showed up for Friday’s historic, first-ever national, cross-disability presidential candidate forum, hosted by a variety of New Hampshire advocacy organizations and sponsored by over twenty national disability organizations.

    Who Showed Up

    (more…)

    ]]>     http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/presidential-forum-a-success-reposted-with-permission/feed/     Equal Voting article in New York Paper http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/equal-voting-article-in-new-york-paper/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/equal-voting-article-in-new-york-paper/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:24:24 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/equal-voting-article-in-new-york-paper/ Susan Cohen has written a great article about the obstacles we face and how advocates in New York were able to finally have a voice in their right to private and accessible voting. She also emphasizes how many disabled Americans there are, and how important it is for all of us to do what it takes to be counted.

    The article can be found here.

    ]]>     http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/equal-voting-article-in-new-york-paper/feed/     Senator Dodd Candidate Questionnaire Answers! http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/senator-dodd-candidate-questionnaire-answers/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/senator-dodd-candidate-questionnaire-answers/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:06:47 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/senator-dodd-candidate-questionnaire-answers/
  • POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
    1. Do you support the creation and appointment of a permanent Assistant to the President for Disability Policy at the White House?
      Yes.
    2. How will you make sure qualified people with disabilities will be a part of your political team and, if elected, as part of your administration?My Administration would represent all Americans. Just as individuals with disabilities play a significant role in contributing to their local communities, they would play a significant role in contributing to the Dodd Administration.
  • EMPLOYMENT
    1. What steps would you take to reduce employment barriers and improve employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities?Despite progress made since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities experience unemployment at a rate far above the national average. Some estimates put the unemployment rate of people with severe disabilities at or near 70 percent. As President, I would encourage public/private partnerships as they relate to the recruitment, hiring and retention of people with disabilities, I would ensure that the tax code to encourages both private and nonprofit sectors to provide additional accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities and I would support funding of “disability program navigators” at state One Stop Career Centers created under the Workforce Investment Act. My Administration would also strengthen the EEOC’s enforcement of the ADA as it relates to job protections for people with disabilities, support efforts to increase the development of and access to assistive and universally designed technologies, and significantly expand efforts to ensure that federal jobs are fully accessible to all.
    2. How would you reform the federal income support programs (Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance) so that beneficiaries enjoy a greater standard of living and participate more fully in the labor market?As President, I would ensure that individuals who cannot support themselves due to a disability are provided with sufficient income through SSDI and SSI. In addition, I would work to revamp the current programs so that current recipients are not punished for what work they are capable of. Individuals that leave SSDI and SSI for full-time employment will have access to high-quality universal health care – universal in terms of affordability and access to the treatments, medications and medical devices that people need.

    • To see the rest, go to AAPD’s election page.

    ]]>     http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/12/27/senator-dodd-candidate-questionnaire-answers/feed/     Your Opinions http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/08/05/your-opinions/ http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/08/05/your-opinions/#comments Mon, 06 Aug 2007 02:42:21 +0000 Jenna Clark http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/08/05/your-opinions/ In the coming weeks, we’ll be posting some questions. Respond in the comments or, if email is preferred, email jenna@40million.org or meg@40million.org . To really get things going, everyone needs to tell others what’s important to them and listen to what others say.

    The first question is general, but they’ll get a bit more specific later.

    What is the issue that’s most important to you?

    ]]>     http://www.40million.org/blog/2007/08/05/your-opinions/feed/