Joe Biden's Disability Rights Plan as Part of Presidential Campaign

Presidential election is around the corner and Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate has rolled out a comprehensive disability-rights plan. One of the biggest and important aspect of the disability-rights plan is the introduction of a director of disability policy, another major highlight is the prioritization of people with disability’s parental rights. The disability parental rights will allow guardianship laws that may interfere with adults with disability's self-determination to be reviewed by the Justice Department. It will also help to ensure that child welfare agencies and family courts respect the parental rights of people with disability

In a virtual announcement last week Thursday, Joe Biden made his disability plan announcement while invoking his own stutter, which is considered a speech impairment by saying, “It never fully goes away but it turned out to be one of my best part.” Joe Biden has always been a supporter of disability community, in fact he was one of the many faces behind the America with Disability Act of 1990 which he co-sponsored under the incredible moral leadership of friends like Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Tony Coelho.

Biden did not just announce his disability plans, he also berates the Trump administration’s record on disability rights, he condemn the various attempt of the Trump administration to overturn Affordable Care Act, he also said the cut made to Medicaid is despicable, and that it would be reversed if he is given the chance to lead America.

Joe Biden said that the central to his administration’s agenda is to promote disability rights, promote diversity and inclusion,'I believe your voices must be heard, and not just heard, but listened to, because this is about issues that matters to every American, equality, dignity, diversity and inclusion.'

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) also spoke at the Joe Biden disability-rights plan announcement. The senator tied the COVID-19 pandemic to disability rights, calling it an example of “what bad leadership” can do to the community. She praised Joe Biden for including policies she has championed over the years, including “full inclusion of people with disabilities in policy development” and appointing a director of disability policy who will engage with various stakeholders in the disability community. “These policies will benefit the whole nation, we need to promote diversity and inclusion, and I really do appreciate how responsive the former vice president has been,” Duckworth said.

Other major issue being addressed in the disability-rights plan is the passage of a legislation to turn the Supreme Court’s Olmstead v. L.C. decision into law. The ruling simply wants the US government to include people with disabilities in its programs, with the choice to live, work, and receive services in integrated settings. The plan specifically stated that, Joe Biden will ensure every agency aggressively enforces Olmstead’s integration mandate, including in housing, education, health care, employment, and transportation.