NOD presidential campaign website
December 2003NATIONAL ORGANIZATION ON DISABILITY POSTS LINKS TO ALL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES' WEBSITES, DISABILITY STATEMENTS
WASHINGTON, D.C.- December 4-The National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) has posted links from its website to the official campaign websites of the nine Democratic candidates running for their party's 2004 nomination, and to President Bush's campaign website. Listed under each site at the Election 2004 are links to disability-specific statements or platforms that the campaigns have posted.
Beginning with the 1988 election, N.O.D. Has called on candidates to incorporate in their platforms, and publicize, their outreach to the roughly 40 million American voters-one in five-who have disabilities of every kind. N.O.D. advocates for polling places and voting machines to be accessible to people with diverse disabilities, and for disability community voter turnout.
"The competition for the Democratic nomination is intense, and the 2004 general election is shaping up to be contentious," said N.O.D. President Alan A. Reich. "No candidate can afford to take voters with disabilities for granted. I am pleased that the candidates' statements that are linked to from our website reflect very serious thought and attention to our constituency by the candidates. Never have they spoken out so early in a campaign."
Mr. Reich wrote to the candidates in September, requesting their disability platforms that could be posted on the website. The postings, which are listed alphabetically, do not imply an endorsement by N.O.D. of any party nor candidate. To date, Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Dick Gephardt, John Kerry, Dennis Kucinich, and Joe Lieberman have posted disability materials on their websites. N.O.D. will link to additional platforms and statements as soon as the candidates release them.
Because N.O.D.'s website is a portal for those interested in disability and related topics, the one-place link to the ten candidates' campaign websites will be a useful tool for disability advocates and for any visitors seeking to learn more about the candidates.
The closeness of the 2000 Presidential race proved that no vote can be taken for granted. The problems of that election highlighted the need for election reform. The Help America Vote Act, enacted in the fall of 2002, includes provisions specifically intended to break down the barriers faced by voters with disabilities, such as difficulties in registering to vote and challenges accessing polling places and voting machines. The new law, the access to public buildings promised by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and advances in technology that make a confidential ballot possible for ever more people mean that Americans with disabilities will be an increasingly significant force in the 2004 and future elections at every level.
"The candidates will never make a mistake by reaching out to voters who care about disability issues," said Mr. Reich. "After all, most voters at least have a friend or relative who has a disability, so a commitment to progress on America's disability agenda benefits all."
The National Organization on Disability, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2002, promotes the full and equal participation and contribution of America's 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life. For more information about N.O.D.'s programs.
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