 American Association of People with Disabilities
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2008 |
Media contact: Rebecca Panoff Communications Manager AAPD Office: (202) 508-3783 E-mail: aapdrebecca (at) earthlink (dot) net |
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Senator Tom Harkin to Participate in Disability Issue Forum
as Senator Barack Obama's SurrogateHarkin has advised Obama's campaign disability policy, considered Obama's closest advisor on disability issues
WASHINGTON, DC — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign has confirmed Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) will act as the surrogate for Obama at The National Forum on Disability Issues, a non-partisan presidential forum organized by the Ohio Disability Vote Coalition (ODVC) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, in Columbus, Ohio.
Obama’s campaign confirmed Obama will be out of the country with a congressional delegation on the day of the forum.
Harkin, a champion of disability rights who helped shape the Americans with Disabilities Act, is Obama’s closest disability policy advisor, according to the Obama campaign. Harkin also advised Obama on his “Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities,” discussing the policy with Obama and suggesting specific edits in the policy.
The Obama campaign has also relied on Harkin's lead disability staff in the development of key disability policy pronouncements from the campaign.
Obama submitted answers to questions about his disability policies to the AAPD, ADAPT, National Council on Independent Living, Self Advocates Being Empowered Disability Candidate Questionnaire earlier in the campaign, and his questionnaire can be read at http://www.aapd.com/News/election/070604sbo.htm.
Senator John McCain agreed last week to participate in the forum via satellite from Arizona. McCain will share his vision for the future of disability policy in America to this influential voting bloc - more than 37 million people with disabilities are eligible to vote in the U.S. He will also answer questions posed by the forum moderator, news anchor and journalist Judy Woodruff ("The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.”)
For more information about the forum visit the AAPD website, www.aapd.com.
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The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change – economically, politically, and socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To learn more, visit the AAPD website: www.aapd.com.