An Accessible Society for All
Disability rights are human rights, and a community that respects individuals with disabilities is a stronger community.
We collaborated with our friends who are leaders in the fight for access to society to draft a platform that identifies where disability intersects other issues and centers the right to access for all people. We are ready to bring this world into being, and that means we have to fight alongside our siblings — to demand we all have equal access to public space, to housing, to employment and fair wages, and to defend our communities against discrimination and unjust treatment in schools, workplaces, and everywhere else.
Disability Integration Act
The Disability Integration Act (DIA) is bi-partisan legislation introduced in the House and Senate that removes barriers to people living with disabilities so they can access their Constitutional rights. We pledge to sign on to become a sponsor of the DIA as one of our first acts in Congress.
Affordable, Accessible, Integrated Housing
One of the greatest obstacles for people living with disabilities is the lack of housing that is affordable, built for access, and does not segregate people with disabilities into institutions but provides true integration into the community. We believe housing is a human right, and so we pledge to fight for income diverse social housing that removes the profit motive and is built to be accessible and integrated. This allows residents to age in place, rather than forcing seniors out of their long-term homes as their health needs change. This brings people of all abilities together as neighbors.
Abolish Housing Discrimination
Many people living with disabilities rely on Section 8 vouchers and Section 811 support to pay for their housing costs, but landlords have the legal right to discriminate against tenants based on their source of income. This is an enormous barrier to thousands of people living with disabilities in this district, and we pledge to fight to end this legal discrimination against the disabled community.
No Exceptions to a Living Wage
People living with disabilities face legal discrimination under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows employers to obtain certificates allowing them to pay below minimum wage to workers with disabilities. The Department of Labor has not managed this program carefully enough to ensure that these workers received even the wages they were entitled to under the Act and to protect them from exploitative working conditions. We understand bosses will take advantage of every opportunity to pay workers less so they can rake in more profits, and so we commit to ending this legal discrimination by fighting to repeal Section 14(c).
Community-Based Care
In keeping with the Olmstead vs L.C. decision of the US Supreme Court, we uphold the right of people with disabilities to receive the care they need in the setting they choose. This means that rather than funneling people with disabilities into institutions, we will fight for more cost-effective home-based care that allows people freedom in their home. We will demand this care be fully included in Medicare for All, and we will also fight to ensure the community attendant workers providing these services have a living wage, benefits, and dignity on the job.
No More Limits on Special Education
The state of Texas places a limit on the number of students who may receive special education services in public schools. By working with teachers unions, we will create a broad demand that no such limits may exist, so that every student can get the education they need provided by well-paid and well-resourced teachers.