2020 Democratic Candidates and Disability

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People with disabilities make up almost a quarter of the U.S. population, but so far in the Democratic presidential debates, disability hasn’t been addressed — or even mentioned. On Wednesday, however, Andrew Yang became the first presidential candidate to bring up the topic in the debate arena, giving a shoutout to his autistic son, while highlighting the important “work” parents of kids on the spectrum do.

Yang’s mention of his autistic son was brief and it wasn’t in relation to his disability platform directly. When asked why he thinks polls showing Joe Biden has the best chance of beating Donald Trump during the presidential election are wrong, Yang gave a shout out to his wife’s role as a caretaker for their sons. He said, according to a transcript from the Washington Post:
“The problem is that so many people feel like the economy has left them behind. What we have to do is we have to say look, there’s record high GDP in stock market prices, you know what else they’re at record high is? Suicides, drug overdoses, depression, anxiety. It’s gotten so bad that American life expectancy had declined for the last three years.

And I like to talk about my wife who is at home with our two boys right now, one of whom is autistic. What is her work count at in today’s economy. Zero and we know that’s the opposite of the truth. We know that her work is amongst the most challenging and vital.

The way we win this election as we redefine economic progress to include all the things that matter to the people in Michigan and all of us like our own heath, our well being, our mental health, our clean air and clean water, how are kids are doing.”

Yang includes advocacy for early autism intervention services as part of his platform, sharing on his website he wants to “destigmatize autism and related neurological profiles as commonplace and distinct.” This includes increasing funding to help autistic kids access the support they need sooner, though the actually autistic community has pointed out his campaign doesn’t include resources for autistic adults.
“The problem is that so many people feel like the economy has left them behind. What we have to do is we have to say look, there’s record high GDP in stock market prices, you know what else they’re at record high is? Suicides, drug overdoses, depression, anxiety. It’s gotten so bad that American life expectancy had declined for the last three years.

And I like to talk about my wife who is at home with our two boys right now, one of whom is autistic. What is her work count at in today’s economy. Zero and we know that’s the opposite of the truth. We know that her work is amongst the most challenging and vital.

The way we win this election as we redefine economic progress to include all the things that matter to the people in Michigan and all of us like our own heath, our well being, our mental health, our clean air and clean water, how are kids are doing”

“Disability, health and mental health have come up for most 2020 presidential candidates in other areas of their campaigns. To celebrate the 29th anniversary of the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990 (ADA) on July 26, for example, many Democratic hopefuls tweeted their support for the landmark legislation.

“Growing up with a stutter, my parents taught me from a young age that being different is no barrier to success,” presidential candidate Biden tweeted. “Instead, the barrier is far too often our laws, our institutions, and our culture. The ADA began to change all of that.


@JoeBiden
· Jul 26, 2019
I've always been proud to have cosponsored the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law 29 years ago. Thanks to the vision & persistence of @SenatorHarkin & many disability leaders, this bill was a critical step in the fight for equal rights for people with disabilities.“

Others, including Yang, include disability- or health-related topics as part of their platform. Yet disability hasn’t come up in the Democratic debates, and Yang’s brief mention of autism, while welcome, is only one step toward a more inclusive political landscape.

I am starting to like Andrew Yang. I hope he will gain traction so he makes the next debate.

I would have liked to have heard more from Yang. Has he done any longer interviews where he explains where all this universal basic income money would come from and what his general values are?

The privacy thing I think is a British thing, where you're generally not supposed to discuss your family at all when doing business. In America, things are a bit different.

Obviously there's no doubt that he's better than Trump! But I think I'd rather have him advising someone like Harris or Buttigrieg than sitting in the Oval Office.

The privacy thing I think is a British thing, where you're generally not supposed to discuss your family at all when doing business. In America, things are a bit different.

Only one of them is actively worse than Trump, marianne williamson

Even in America, a child's medical diagnosis, particularly for a condition that remains highly stigmatised, is private information that should not be disclosed without their consent unless there is a clear need.

An equal issue in both countries is that parents feel like they have a right to disclose this information widely.

I think Williamson would continue Trump's record of failure and incompetence, but on the surface she seems like a much more moral person. I'm vaguely aware that when she was doing HIV/AIDS advocacy she said some insensitive things about how patients should love their virus, but just the fact that she was trying to do good things for HIV patients shows a conscientious side. She also has a long history of advocating for women's rights, peace, and ending poverty, and as a candidate supports efforts to tackle climate change.

She's far too left-wing for my tastes, and no doubt she's unfit for the office, but what makes you think she's worse than Trump?

(For my money the worst of the Democratic field by a long way is Tulsi Gabbard. Fortunately both Gabbard and Williamson are polling badly and will have to drop out soon)