Make Them Hear You! Disability Inclusion Act

Make Them Hear You! is a weekly feature on KGNU, produced by Chris Mohr, letting listeners know how they can have their voices heard on issues up before Congress. You can hear it Wednesday mornings at 8.20am during the Morning Magazine.

Election Day is November 6, and if you or someone you know needs a ride to the polls, Uber and Lyft are making it easy for people to get there. Uber says it will be working with #VoteTogether and Democracy Works to provide free rides to voters. Lyft will also help voters get to the polls, partnering with organizations like Vote.org and Nonprofit Vote to distribute promo codes for 50 percent off. And for under-served communities, Lyft will provide free rides to voting locations through nonprofit partnerships with Voto Latino, local Urban League affiliates and the National Federation of the Blind. Tell everyone you know to vote, and help them overcome any barriers they may have to the exercise of their rights.

Also a reminder that, to the great dismay of Republicans, Obamacare remains the law of the land thanks to your calls and visits, and registration begins November 1. The Federal government is not making much of an effort to tell people about this, but signing up as soon as possible in November is a must for people who need affordable healthcare and don’t get it from their jobs.

Now to today’s legislative concern. We’ve talked about the bipartisan Disability Inclusion Act before (S. 910/H.R. 2472), but once the election is behind us, it is likely to get more attention. It supports the right of people with disabilities to receive long-term care services at home rather than in an institution. Advocates say it’s more humane and cost-effective when the decision rests with an individual needing care, and constituents are asking congresspeople to cosponsor it.

The DIA would ensure that people with disabilities have a right to live in their communities and receive the appropriate services that enable them to do so.

The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) in 1990 brought America closer to recognizing the rights of the disabled to have a say in their own lives. The ADA prohibits public and private entities as well as employers from discriminating against people with disabilities. But the ADA did little to expand opportunities for people with disabilities to live in the community with the appropriate supports. Providing services that allow people to live in the community is also the most cost-effective. In 2015, the median yearly cost for nursing home care was $91,250, compared to $45,760 for home health aide services.

Support has come in from the conservative Heritage Foundation, tentative support from the AARP, and over 400 other national and state disability and civil rights organizations. If you have thoughts about the Disability Inclusion Act now being considered in both houses, you can share your concerns with your Senators and Congressperson.

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