Virginia Young Democrats Disabilities Caucus

ties. The purpose of public policy addressing the needs of persons with disabilities should be to remove discriminatory barriers, level the playing field, and provide reasonable accommodations. We believe that we must offer equal employment opportunities to people with disabilities and take proactive steps to remedy the disproportionate unemployment of talented, qualified young workers with disabilities. To this end, we endorse the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act to restore the original intent of the landmark legislation and ensure that people who have been discriminated against on the basis of disability aren't turned away at the courthouse door by activist judges with cramped and paternalistic impressions of the definition of disability Given that the federal government is the most prominent and one of the largest employers in Virginia, we are committed to the principle that the federal governments must take a proactive initiative in recruiting and retaining people with disabilities in the federal workforce in order to meet its obligation as a model employer. We support reaffirming the Clinton administration commitment to hiring 100,000 new workers with disabilities and endorse the EEOC's LEAD initiative as initial steps towards ensuring that we have the most dynamic, talented federal workforce possible in the years to come. Reforms need to be considered to better utilize the DOL One Stop, Vocational Rehabilitation and Ticket to Work Programs to improve work incentives and successfully transition people with disabilities into the workforce. Public awareness and equal opportunity enforcement efforts must also be enhanced so that the private sector understands the value of recruiting and retaining skilled, qualified employees with disabilities as a part of a dynamic 21st Century Workforce. Further, we believe that persons with disabilities and chronic conditions ought not to be punished or kept in poverty for their circumstances of birth or the vagaries of circumstance but rather assured of accessible, affordable, high quality care, services and supports in the setting of their choice that does not discriminate on the basis of pre-existing conditions. Health care is a human right and a necessity for all, including people with disabilities, not a privilege, a luxury or a commodity, as some advocates of an unfettered and unregulated health marketplace contend. To that end, we support legislation to further the cause of universal health insurance with a strong benefits package, mental health parity and home and community based services -- including the Community Choice Act. We also believe that legislation is essential to establish standards for and ensure the availability of accessible examination equipment for persons with disabilities, and endorse health wellness, preventative and chronic condition management programs as a key component in any holistic approach to health care. Our nation has an abiding obligation to spare no reasonable expense to look after the health care of our veterans who put their lives and limbs on the line and must assure that the Department of Defense and VA maintain the highest quality programs and services and remain at the cutting edge of science - with particular attention to screening diagnosing and treating mental health and traumatic brain injury. We also believe that proactive steps are required to ensure that person with disabilities are able to secure accessible, affordable housing both for ownership and for rental in the communities of their choice. Accordingly, we support legislative initiatives such as the Inclusive Design Home Act to ensure that homebuilders provide an ample stock of accessible, affordable housing, which will also benefit others by allowing seniors to age in place. We support the creation of additional incremental Section 8 vouchers for persons with disabilities transitioning from institutional settings into the community. We also note that HUD is finding that disability discrimination is the most common form of discriminatory activity reported to their office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and therefore support dramatic funding increases in FHEO's funding to bulk up enforcement efforts, especially in view of recent attempts by some reactionary judge to hold that if construction and design problems in violation of the Fair Housing Act Amendments aren't found in new construction within two years of initial occupancy, statutes of limitation apply to all block later efforts to impose accountability for violations of the applicable rules and regulations. We also strongly urge municipalities to make better use of their Community Development Block Grant funds to expand housing opportunities to persons with disabilities. Finally, we believe that equitable access to educational opportunities is a vital component of any comprehensive approach to disability policy. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are cornerstones of educational opportunity and it is vital that we safeguard, enforce and enhance the rights and opportunities of students with disabilities in these programs, while enhancing transition services and supports to students with disabilities moving into higher education and the workforce. Furthermore, reforms need to be contemplated to enhance student services at the university level and to remove discriminatory policies and procedures which make it harder for students with disabilities to access the financial aid that they require and receive the reasonable accommodations they deserve for the standardized testing that serves as a gatekeeper for graduate programs.