A Solid Victory for Obama on Disability

I did not get to see the entire Presidential debate last night because I was teaching. However, I did listen to most of the debate on my drive home. When Bob Schieffer asked about the qualifications of Palin and Biden as Vice-President I eagerly awaited an answer. I hoped that for the first time a substantive debate about disability might come up. Although not substantive, the exchange about disability between Obama and McCain solidified in my mind why Obama is the clear choice in the election.

The transcript of the debate is widely available and it is worth quoting some of it. In his answer, McCain fell back on well worn cliches. "She'll be my partner. She understands reform. And, by the way, she also understands special needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we've got to reach out to these families, and help them, and give them the help they need as they raise these very special children. She understands that better than almost any American that I know. I'm proud of her".

As many have pointed out, Palin is not an expert on autism. She does have a nephew who has autism and all know her son Trig has Down Syndrome. This limited personal connection may give her an "understanding" of what is involved in raising children with "special needs" but that does not mean she has any added insight or expertise. This may come with time but to my knowledge her practical experience with disability is limited to caring for her son who is less than a year old. It appears to me she has made a connection with parents of children that have Down Syndrome but this has not translated into action. Indeed, the skeptic could postulate that Palin is exploiting these parents for photo opportunities that tug at the heart strings of those unfamiliar with disability. I also get a sense that Palin has not truly embraced or begun to get a nuanced understanding of the disability community. Again, this may come with time but as of today her failure to act, to change the rhetoric coming out of the McCain cmpaign and offer specific examples of what she would do to enhance the lives of children with special needs makes me question what she says.

The passage in the debate that is of great interest to me did not come from McCain. It was Obama's reply to the above quote that was dignified, polite, and raised the bar above partisan politics. Obama could have lobbed a nasty shot at Palin and the mean spirited comments she has made recently but graciously conceded she was a capable politician, one that has energized the Republican base. I give Obama credit for being polite, I doubt I could have held my tongue. Regardless, this statement by Obama stood out:

"I do want to just point out that autism, for example, or other special needs, will require some additional funding, if we're going to get serious in terms of research. That is something that every family that advocates on the behalf of disabled children talks about. And if we have an across the board spending freeze, we're not going to be able to do it".

Here we have a distinct and profound difference between Obama and McCain. The McCain campaign through Palin pays lip service to special needs children but offers no change in the draconian funding of programs for the people they supposedly care about. Furthermore, McCain and Palin have said nothing about the needs of disabled adults, Supreme Court decisions that have gutted the ADA, rampant unemployment and a myriad of other issues that marginalize disabled people. In contrast, Obama has a plan and a vision for how he wants to empower disabled people in both the short and long term. This is clearly presented and has been readily available for months at his website. If you do not believe me check it out for yourself. Obama's support of people with disabilities goes well beyond empty promises that are designed to generate a knee jerk response. I am not sure why Obama has such a good understanding of disability related issues. I suspect it has less to do with personal experience than it does with those he has received advice from but this is speculation on my part.

Simply put, last night provided proof positive that Obama is the clear choice for the disability community. Even if viewers were not swayed by Obama's words McCain's reply highlighted how unaware he is to the needs of disabled people. McCain replied "We need to spend more, we need to spend more, that's the answer--why do we always have to spend more?" Why do we need to spend more? Let me suggest McCain visit an independent living center, group home, adaptive sport center, rehab hospital, or a myriad of places that are grossly underfunded. There here will be exposed to a system and culture that crushes the spirit of many disabled people who want to lead an ordinary life other take for granted.