The Backlash Continues, Part 2

It's ironic that by trying to connect with people dealing with special needs, McCain pissed off so many of them.

Christy Everett explains why she was offended in her blog post, "I Know Nothing About Special Needs." She explains, "Yes, my son Elias has multiple disabilities that affect his balance, movement, vision, communication, and breathe, and yes I’ve immersed myself in the disability world by reading books, blogs, articles, laws, and enough bureaucratic paperwork to fill a truck, but I am merely a tourist in this world, hoping to learn the culture so I can advocate for my son. I can’t claim to be an expert. I’m not even an insider. I’m just a mom who loves her child. For McCain to say that Sarah Palin 'understands special needs better than almost any American I know' just shows how out of touch he is with the disability community."

Christy is not just another parent living with the challenges of raising a child with special needs. She's a dedicated advocate who happens to live in that state "up north," as Gov. Palin like to say -- Alaska. In an emotional blog post back on Sept. 13, she reflected on her multiple meetings with Palin to advocate for funding to eliminate the long waiting list of nearly 1,000 Alaskans with developmental disabilities who are in need of treatment. She said she cried when she heard Palin announce at the Republican Convention that she would be an advocate for children.

But then she continues: "And now that the crowd has dispersed and the lights have been turned down, I find myself wondering how you could make this pledge when so many Alaskan families wait for the support they need. Especially with a state budget with billions of dollars in surplus. I know disabilities is not a mainstream issue. Not nearly as hot a topic as soaring prices at the pump. And so you pay each Alaskan an energy rebate, a one-time check of a little over a thousand dollars. I hope the big-screen TVs are worth it."

Since the time she wrote this, her opinion of Palin has continued to sink. Not surprisingly, Christy is among a large number of Alaskans, special-needs parents, and advocates who are voting for Sen. Obama.

Let the Backlash Begin...

It turns out people do watch these debates -- and pay attention when a candidate makes misleading comments like McCain's Wednesday night. The blogosphere is buzzing, and I'll give you just a sample of what I'm seeing.

In a letter to the editor in the Chicago Tribune, Janet Takehara, a mother of a 21-year-old with Asperger's Syndrome calls McCain's claim that Palin knows more than "almost any American I know" about special needs "condescending, offensive, and frightening."

Charles Fox, writing in his Special Ed Law Blog, says, "It is wrong at this late date to shill yourself as a champion for the vulnerable populations of children with autism, when he has no record to speak of before now. Senator Obama and for that matter Senator Clinton have taken affirmative positions on funding and supporting efforts for children with autism. Children with special needs, whether those with Downs or autism or cerebral palsy or any other disability, are not emblems to be held up for political gain....If Senator McCain's voting record with President Bush was not enough to disqualify him for the presidency, then his use of children with special needs as a political tool certainly rules him out once and for all."

In the Huffington Post, Janet Grillo, a former board member at Cure Autism Now, writes, "My Autistic Son is Not a Political Pawn." While McCain claims he would support autism research, he wants to freeze all government spending. And his offer of a $5,000 tax deduction for health care won't go far to meet her son's annual $90,000 of services. "Thank God that California state-funded regional center services have absorbed the lion's share of those costs. But, as everyone knows, California is now bankrupt. Those services have been frozen. Children and parents are floundering." Sen. Obama, she says, "was right to tell the American people that this essential work will cost money.... Piece meal tax rebates will not cover health costs for our families, as they contend with this lifelong neurological disability. Tonight, John McCain told us that Governor Palin 'knows more about autism than any other American I know.' Perhaps he should get out more."

At DailyKos, "expatyank" describes his 18-year journey with a son with autism. The title of his piece summarizes his views pretty well -- "McCain's Autism Pander: And Why This Parent/Professional is Disgusted." In addition to sharing his personal story (in great detail), he examines the candidates' policies, contrasting McCain's singular focus on research and children with Obama's comprehensive policies. "Obama doesn't stop there. He calls for "treatment, screenings, public awareness, and support services, opportunities and effective solutions for people with ASD, independent living, life-long services for people with ASD, and full federal funding of IDEA (special education)."

In his blog, health researcher John Feighery, asks "Which Candidate is a Friend to Special Needs Children?" Writing from his personal experience, he says, "We need an advocate who knows about our difficulties and has a plan to make things better. Based on my research, Obama will be the kind of advocate we need. I understand if you are suspicious about pledges from a candidate during an election and wonder how all these plans will be paid for considering the current state of the economy. But if Obama can enact just a few of his proposals, we'll clearly be better off than we are now."

Feel free to send me other opinions you think people should see.

Googlers Rush to Fact-Check McCain's Autism Claims

Because of last night's debate, this blog has had more visits than any other day since I started it on Sept. 7. Most of the recent visits are from Google searches, and many people are searching similar terms:
- sarah palin's connection with autism
- what is Sarah Palin's connection to autism?
- trig palin autism
- palin autism facts
- mccain down syndrome is not autism
- mccain says palin's child is autistic?
- does palin's kid have autism?
- palins kid downs or autistic

So if you're one of the people wondering, "What is Sarah Palin's connection to autism?" here's a short answer. Gov. Palin has a 6-month-old son with Down Syndrome, not autism. She also has a nephew who has autism. That's the extent of her expertise in this area, but during the debate, McCain said she knows more than "almost any American that I know." Of course, this is the same guy who last week called her "uniquely qualified" to cure autism.

In Final Debate, McCain Says No More Funding Needed for Autism

Despite a lot of negative talk about negative campaigning, tonight's presidential debate was by far the most substantive of all four debates this election season. Both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain addressed their plans for the economy, education, health care, and more. There was even some substance on disabilities, though McCain still seems to think that Down Syndrome and autism are the same thing.

In response to moderator Bob Schieffer's question about the qualifications of the candidates' running mates, McCain said Gov. Palin "understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we've got to find out what's causing it, and we've got to reach out to these families, and help them, and give them the help they need as they raise these very special needs children. She understands that better than almost any American that I know. I'm proud of her."

Obama countered: "I do want to just point out that autism, for example, or other special needs, will require some additional funding, if we're going to get serious in terms of research. That is something that every family that advocates on behalf of disabled children talks about. And if we have an across-the-board spending freeze, we're not going to be able to do it. That's an example of, I think, the kind of use of the scalpel that we want to make sure that we're funding some of those programs."

Then McCain: "I want to come back to, notice every time Sen. Obama says, 'We need to spend more, we need to spend more, that's the answer' -- why do we always have to spend more? Why can't we have transparency, accountability, reform of these agencies of government?"

This exchange clearly points out the difference between offering a plan and vision (which Obama and Biden are) and making empty promises for political gain (which McCain and Palin are). Read their policy positions and listen to every interview, debate, and speech. McCain and Palin say they will support children with special needs, but refuse to back up their words with the needed plans or funding to provide any level of support.

Last week, McCain called Palin "uniquely qualified" to cure autism. You can't make this stuff up. Tonight, he said she understands the needs of parents raising kids with special needs "better than almost any American that I know." Really? From everything I've heard, I think I know a lot more, and I'm just an average parent of a child with autism. I know plenty of parents who know far more than me.

In all of her speeches since she was nominated, Palin has shown absolutely no insight about the challenges families face -- battling insurance companies, fighting for a decent education, scheduling therapists, and juggling medical appointments, to name a few. I'm sure she's learning a lot about special needs on the job, as my wife and I did, and I hope it serves her well as she raises her son. But it doesn't make her any type of expert I would trust to make decisions on my behalf.

"People with Disabilities Need More Than a Campaign Promise"

Since Gov. Palin entered the campaign, many parents have said the focus on kids with special needs ignores the needs of those children when they grow up. Pamela Merritt, who is co-guardian for her 38-year-old brother with severe autism, understands these issues all too well. In this blog post, she compares the candidates' positions and worries that McCain-Palin talk about special needs but don't support the programs that people like her brother rely on. She says her brother is "dependent on government programs to fund everything from his residential program and supported employment to health care and food. But changes in federal policies between 2002 and 2005 have resulted in a severe financial crisis in Missouri that has in turn trickled down to impact my brother's life....While the debate over how to address the economic crisis rages on and the presidential campaign closes in on Election Day, families with disabled members are looking for more than a campaign promise without policy and a funding pledge to back it up."

McCain-Palin Losing Support among Disability Advocates

I'm hearing a lot more from parents raising children with special needs who WANTED to support McCain-Palin but who don't see any true plan, understanding, or commitment to the issues they care about. Norma Stanley, a marketing consultant who specializes in reaching the disability community, says she was initially impressed with Gov. Palin after her acceptance speech. But now she writes, "not only does Ms. Palin not exhibit too much interest in knowing how she can assist this community, she doesn't recognize the power and influence of the disability community could have on her campaign." According to a recent survey, 57 percent of the disability community "are still leaning toward Sen. Obama, because what we do know of both their positions, support, and plans for the community, it seems that Obama's are more substantial than Sen. McCain's."

McCain: Sarah Palin is "Uniquely Qualified" to Cure Autism

I was hoping that Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin would eventually outline a plan to help children with special needs. Last night on Fox News, they again failed to do so, but McCain did tell the American people that Palin is "uniquely qualified" to cure autism. Really.

Sean Hannity gave McCain and Palin a series of softball questions, and yet they still refused to offer any plan for children with special needs and the families who are raising them. In fact, Palin said nothing on the topic. McCain said: "At our town hall meetings, we have lots of families show up with children that have autism and other special-needs families. Obviously, Sarah Palin wants to take on that task of helping relieve the burden..find what's causing autism...find a cure for it. And those responsibilities not only would I like for her to do, but she's uniquely qualified to do."

Watch the video for yourself, starting at 2:26. The blog Autistic Living has more commentary.

If Sarah Palin is "uniquely qualified" to discover the cause and cure for autism, her talents will be wasted as vice president. Instead, she should be in a laboratory right now putting her genetic and neurological expertise to good use. Or maybe she should head the National Institutes of Health or the World Health Organization. But not VP.

In Interview, Palin Confirms She Has No Plan for Children with Special Needs

In a rare interview tonight, with Greta Van Susteren of Fox News, Gov. Palin came up empty when asked a direct question about how she would help children with special needs. This was her best chance so far to articulate a plan -- but instead, she contradicted herself by calling for a spending freeze in one sentence and increased funding in the next.

At first, Palin tried to get away with her tired, rehearsed talking points -- "working with families with kids with special needs...an issue that's near and dear to my heart...I look forward to making the world more welcoming to children with special needs."

But then, Van Susteren finally asked the question I've been asking in this blog: "On the issue of special needs, there are lots of mothers with extra needs. What exactly would you do to help them?" Palin stumbled, first calling for increased funding -- until Van Susteren reminded her that in response to the previous question, she had agreed with Sen. McCain that we should impose a government-wide spending freeze. Palin then retreated, talking about "prioritizing" and shifting money around.

When pinned down, Palin contradicts herself every time she's asked a specific question that can't be answered with simple talking points that her team of Bush advisors have given her. She and McCain miss no opportunity to bash government and government spending. Then, when it's convenient, she talks about the need for more funding, with no plan and no apparent knowledge of the federal programs that impact the "real folks" she supposedly represents.

An Objective Comparison of the Positions

Are you tired of the negative and personal attacks that are beginning to dominate the campaign? That won't stop people like you from focusing on the issues that matter, and that's why I was happy to come across this side-by-side comparison of the presidential candidates' positions on disability issues, prepared by the Ohio Legal Rights Service, and agency of the State of Ohio. The agency neither supports nor opposes either candidate.

The Guardian (UK): "What Disability Agenda?"

In "What Disability Agenda?" in the Guardian (United Kingdom), Ben Adler writes, "Sarah Palin says she's an advocate for special needs children, but she hasn't backed up her rhetoric with actual proposals....So far Palin's pledge to lead on disability issues because of her personal connection to the community has not been developed into more than mere rhetoric. And unless she specifies what exactly she would do for disabled children as vice president, she risks creating the impression that all she is really seeking with that rhetoric is political reward."

Who Hates Medicare More -- Palin or Reagan?

Did you catch Gov. Palin's reference to Ronald Reagan in last week's debate?

WHAT SHE SAID:

"It was Ronald Reagan who said that freedom is always just one generation away from extinction. We don’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream; we have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to them so that they shall do the same, or we’re going to find ourselves spending our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children about a time in America, back in the day, when men and women were free."

WHAT SHE DIDN'T SAY:

This quote has nothing to do with international threats. In fact, it is a quote from a 1961 anti-Medicare campaign, funded by the American Medical Association and hosted by Reagan. The "imminent threat" was a government program that has benefited 44 million Americans with disabilities and seniors who couldn't get health insurance otherwise. Watch the propaganda below, and ask yourself how closely these views reflect the McCain-Palin "vision" for America.

It All Comes Down to This -- Read It and Pass It Along

Paul Langmore, director of the Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University, has written a brilliant analysis of the candidates in the Huffington Post. You can read my whole blog (which I encourage you to do), or you can read this one piece -- "Palin Talks About Special Needs Children, But Obama Has Substantive Plans for All People With Disabilities."

"Ever since Sarah Palin's acceptance speech," he says, "there has been a great deal of talk about 'special needs' children but little about the issues that concern the 54 million Americans with disabilities of all ages." So he looks at candidates' positions on some of the most important issues -- health insurance, Medicare, mental health, and community services.

Previously, I referenced Longmore's excellent essay, "What Kind of Advocacy Do Americans with Disabilities Really Need?"

After Debate, Still No Palin Plan for Special Needs

In last night's vice presidential debate, I was hoping for additional clarification about the candidates' positions, and I did in several areas, but not the one this blog focuses on. I've been saying for weeks that Gov. Palin has been too vague about being a "friend" to children with special needs. She hasn't addressed any specific plan in her numerous speeches, her handful of interviews, or any other forum. So what did we learn from her last night? Nothing new.

Repeating her vague listing of priorities, she said: "John McCain and I have had good conversations about where I would lead with his agenda. That is energy independence in America and reform of government over all, and then working with families of children with special needs. That's near and dear to my heart also."

In one of her comments about education, Gov. Palin contradicted her running mate when she said: "With education, America needs to be putting a lot more focus on that and our schools have got to be really ramped up in terms of the funding that they are deserving. Teachers needed to be paid more." Remember, McCain has proposed a spending freeze on all programs for education, including special education and new teachers. But he wants to tax your health benefits (if you're one of the 70 percent of Americans who get insurance through your job), while denying health coverage for anyone with a pre-existing condition, including children with autism and Down Syndrome.

Biden countered this way: "I hope we'll get back to education, because I don't know any government program that John is supporting, not early education, more money for it. The reason No Child Left Behind was left behind, the money was left behind, we didn't fund it."

Biden also stressed the need to fund education, even with the current economic challenges. "We cannot slow up on education, because that's the engine that is going to give us the economic growth and competitiveness that we need."

Here's CNN's transcript of the whole debate.

Mom Says McCain-Palin Approach Will Devastate Families

In the Beacon Broadside, Penny Wolfson talks about the challenges her family has met while raising their son with muscular dystrophy, who is now 24. Wolfson teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College, and I highly recommend reading her entire essay. In brief, she says, Gov. Palin "does not represent my interests, she will, I believe make it harder and more costly than ever to care for a child with a disability." Why is that?

"In the society McCain and Palin wish to create, in which entitlement programs like Medicaid and Social Security are further whittled down, health insurance is more and more in the hands of private insurers, and deregulation continues apace, the picture for disabled children and their parents could only get worse. No matter what Palin might say about her advocacy for 'special needs' children, I have no doubt that her everyone-for-himself notions will prevail. I certainly hope Palin and her husband have plenty of time to fill out forms and make phone calls pleading Trig's cause to petty administrators; anyone with a disabled person in their family can tell you this is the substance of our daily lives.

"Private insurers want to make as much money and avoid any costs they can; they hate people like us, who have what must seem to them like an endless need for such essential items as wheelchairs, ventilator masks, home health aides, and psychological services. So they spend all their time and money fighting us, rejecting claims and having us call or email or get new verifications or asking us multiple times if we have another insurer. Every time my husband has changed jobs -- he is a physician himself -- we have had to fill out new forms, establish credentials, and deductibles, and re-explain Ansel's condition and needs -- all things that would be obviated by a national, single-payer system which Palin and McCain wholeheartedly reject."

Vaccines, Autism, and Politics

There is no medical evidence that vaccines cause autism. Yet many parents, including Jenny McCarthy (who says her son was "cured" of his autism), are convinced they do. A while ago, Sen. McCain suggested in an off-the-cuff remark that there may be a link; Sen. Obama recently acknowledged there is no evidence but maybe more research is needed.

Apparently, McCain agreed to meet with McCarthy in May 2008 and then cancelled after learning there's no hard evidence of the link. She feels snubbed, claiming a campaign manager explained, "We're ahead in the polls and this is a very, very touchy subject." I don't know what to believe, but if you want to, read McCarthy's story and a commentary from Discover's Bad Astronomy blog.

Comparing their Positions on Mental Health

The non-partisan National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released the candidates' responses to its questionnaire on mental health issues. Sen. Obama answered all 24 questions, while Sen. McCain responded with a four-paragraph statement. Read Obama's response and McCain's response.

Thanks to Carol of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County (Md.) Federation of Families for passing this along.

Will McCain Put His Money Where Palin's Mouth Is?

Gov. Palin has embellished her stump speech with a nice reference to the late Gov. Robert Casey (the pro-life Democratic governor of Pennsylvania), who, she says, "was asked once how society should treat the most vulnerable among us, such as children with special needs. He said it's simple. He said, you put them first in line."

That's a pretty good applause line. But what does she mean? And has she talked to her running mate about what it would take to "put them first in line"? In Friday night's debate, Sen. McCain proposed a spending freeze on every federal program except defense and veterans. The National Education Association quickly reacted by saying such a freeze "would create a No Child Left Behind funding gap of $15 billion and put a crunch on millions of special education students, low-income students, children living in poverty, and the hiring of future teachers."

So we know McCain's not going to put his money where her mouth is. But what about Gov. Casey, apparently Gov. Palin's new role model? He didn't just talk -- he backed up his words with government programs that helped people. As governor from 1987 to 1994, Casey created school-based child-care programs that provided full-day services and before- and after-school care programs for infants and preschoolers, including poor children. That meant that teen parents could stay in school and poor adults could work knowing their children were safe. He was a strong advocate for universal health care. He invested money in breast cancer awareness and screening and required HMOs to cover annual mammograms. Harvard University pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton called Casey's multidimensional health care programs for women and children "a model for the rest of the country."

As a footnote, Gov. Casey's son, Bob Casey, Jr., is now a senator representing Pennsylvania. And way back in March, he endorsed Sen. Obama for president.

So Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin, parents with children with special needs are STILL wondering: What will you DO to support families like ours? We can read Sen. Obama's plan for Americans with disabilities. When will you share YOUR plan to back up your words and promises?

Should McCain Have Selected TODD Palin for VP?

Here's an interesting article demonstrating that "Not All Conservative Evangelicals Support Palin." It seems many conservative, Christian, home-schooling parents aren't so crazy about McCain (because he's not conservative enough) or Palin (because her focus is on her career and not her children, including one who's pregnant and one who has special needs). Some parents "are opposing Sarah Palin simply because they believe that she should stay home and take care of her family instead of getting involved in politics or who believe that it is wrong for a woman to have any authority in the public arena."

Since many evangelicals still believe a mom's place is in the home, maybe a safer pick for McCain would have been TODD Palin. You know -- let the man be VP and keep the wife at home to raise and teach the five young 'uns. And the possibilities for campaign slogans would be endless -- "Todd Was Sent by God." "Got God? Elect Todd." Or "This Will Show Those College-Educated Elitists."

The Candidates & Disabilities: A Teen's View

I like to present a range of perspectives on this blog, and I'm happy to share this thoughtful analysis of the candidates' positions on disabilities. The author, who writes a column called "Nicki's View" for Health News Blogs, is a teenager who is blind and has cerebral palsy. These policies will affect her for a long time, so she took a close look at both candidates.

Obama on ADA Amendments

Yesterday Sen. Obama issued a statement on the signing of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, which he co-sponsored. He called it an important step and said "our government [must] to do everything it can to protect and respect the needs of these Americans."

A Disability Czar for Obama?

Education Week reporter Christina Samuels links to a transcript of a conference call with two Obama representatives meeting with disability advocates. Samuels notes a proposal to create an "assistant to the president for disability policy" -- which would be the highest appointment ever in this area. I've mentioned before that Obama's disability proposals have been drafted under the leadership of two senior advisers who have children with disabilities -- Michael Strautmanis (who has three children, one with autism) and strategist David Axelrod (whose daughter has developmental disabilities caused by epilepsy).

An Inside Look at GOP Campaigning

Have you ever noticed how McCain-Palin supporters seem to speak off the same script -- like about Gov. Palin's "executive experience"? In this fascinating article in Salon, journalist Margriet Oostveen admits: "I Ghost-Wrote Letters to the Editor for the McCain Campaign." To get an inside look at the workings of the campaign, she volunteered in McCain's Virginia office. During her training with other volunteers, campaign worker Phil Tuchman told them honesty was not a requirement: "You can be whoever you want to be," he said. "You can be a beggar or a millionaire. A mom or a husband. Whatever. You decide!"

Even more interesting than her article are the guidelines, talking points, and sample letters given to her and other volunteers. Read them and observe political manipulation at work. One of the talking points is "In choosing Governor Palin, John McCain put Washington on notice that he is serious about shaking up the status quo." Does "shaking up the status quo" include asking volunteers to write fake letters?

More Parents Speak Out

Oregon state legislator Sara Gelser, a disability advocate and the mother of a girl with developmental disabilities, examines the candidates' records and says: "Being the parent of a child with Down syndrome does not ensure that Palin will be an effective advocate for people with disabilities, any more than Dick Cheney being the parent of a lesbian daughter has made him an effective advocate for equality." Read "Empty Promises to Desperate Parents."

Blogger Liz from Illinois writes: "I am the mother of a special needs child. Republicans want me to feel understood by Palin, to feel a symbiotic connection with her because we are both mothers of special needs children. I am supposed to instinctively trust that another mother will do right by these children. Um. Not so much. Republicans have a nasty record of not supporting legislation that funds programming, education, or health care for this vulnerable group of citizens. Why in the world would I trust Sarah Palin or John McCain to help me secure my son's future because of some touchy-feely notion that 'we mothers understand each other'?"

How Do You Define "Fight"?

It's time for a fact check. Yesterday Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin spoke at a rally in Reading, Pa. It was a typical stump speech in most ways, but Gov. Palin made a claim that I haven't heard before -- and that I haven't seen backed up by any source, including her staff and supporters in Alaska.

She said, "As governor I’ve fought for these two years more funding for education for those with special needs for more opportunities." As I reported earlier, it is true that the budget for what Alaska calls "special needs" has increased since Gov. Palin took office. The general education budget was increased because of surpluses generated by oil profits, and the state automatically earmarks a certain percentage of the general education budget for "special needs." So by default, that budget grew as well.

BUT: Alaska's "special needs" budget includes expenses for everything from the "talented and gifted" program to a boot camp for high school dropouts. (The boot camp gets two-thirds of the funding.) And nothing I've seen -- nothing -- supports her claim that she has in any way "fought" or "pushed" or "advocated" or even "politely asked" for more funding or programs for children with special needs. If you can point to a source that supports her claim, please send it to me.

See also "What Alaskans are Saying."

What's It Like to Raise a Child with Special Needs? Read This.

Especially if you do not have a child with special needs, please read this post by Margaret Storey, a history professor at DePaul University. Nothing I've previously posted better describes the emotions I've experienced raising a child with special needs. Maybe I just relate to Storey's experience because, like my daughter, her daughter is non-verbal with hard-to-control epilepsy.

She explains her mixed reactions to the nomination of Gov. Palin and notes the difference between giving birth to a child with special needs and raising that child.

"From our point of view...giving birth to a special needs child is no more God's work than having a 'normal' child....Once a child takes first breath, the responsibilities of a parent to nurture and protect take over with considerable urgency. Some undertake these responsibilities well; others do not. Sarah Palin may be a wonderful parent and have a loving family. But she has not earned the right to be regaled as exceptional simply for loving and caring for her youngest child. With the exception of those who adopt children with disabilities, parents of special needs children do not choose this 'vocation.'...

"It's true -- we aren’t like everybody else. But the difference is not a matter of heroism and sacrifice. And it's not just a matter of giving birth. It's the fact that raising a child with special needs is a life-altering experience in which one is initiated -- sometimes kicking and screaming -- into a largely unseen, or at least unacknowledged, world. Exposure to that world is fantastically transformative in terms of how one interacts with family, friends, neighbors and -- especially -- social and governmental institutions.

"Sarah Palin is currently at the beginning of this journey. She will, we suspect, soon discover that Hockey Moms have got nothing on Special Needs Moms who manage the schedules and transportation of their children: physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, primary care doctors visits, specialist doctor visits, medical tests, and on and on. As Trig grows, Sarah and Todd Palin may have to acquire arcane and specialized medical knowledge to understand and care for their son’s complex needs. Like other moms and dads, they will become experts in the health care industry as they advocate for comprehensive coverage, tests, medicines, therapies, and equipment that their child needs. And then will come school, and fighting for their child’s educational needs to be met by institutions that are underfunded and often ill-equipped to do the job....

"All that we do we do for her we do with help—and much of that help has been mandated by the often-derided 'big government.' The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that mandates fair and appropriate educations for people with disabilities, Illinois's 0-3 Early Intervention programs, the City of Chicago's grant program for housing modifications for the disabled, the non-profit foundations and organizations that provide us with resources and hope -- these programs and others like them have been put in place through the efforts of lawmakers and citizens who believe that we are all benefitted when the least of us is protected."

She concludes:
"Put your money where your mouths are, McCain-Palin. We don't need to be reminded of the 'great job' we're doing as parents of kids with special needs. We don't need 'heroes' to model sanctimonious double-talk. We need our country and its leaders to demonstrate a real commitment, not lip service, to the needs of the weakest and most vulnerable in our midst."

Baltimore Sun: "Friendship Isn't Enough"

In an op-ed titled "Friendship Isn't Enough," the Baltimore Sun's editors say, "What do families of children with disabilities need from the next president? Not just a 'friend' in the White House but a willingness to pay for services they need."

The op-ed points out that the proposed Community Choice Act would require all states and the federal government to make such services for disabled American more widely available. While Sen. McCain doesn't support the bill, Sen. Obama is a co-sponsor. It continues:

"There are any number of other government programs that are desperately in need of help from a friend in the White House. Special education is supposed to receive 40 percent federal financing and now gets closer to 17 percent. Personal care service providers, who are vital to keeping disabled people living independently, are chronically underpaid and, because of that, difficult to find and retain. The candidates' views on these matters are reflected on their websites. Mr. Obama's includes a nine-page treatise on his plans to help the disabled, including full funding for special education. Mr. McCain's 14 core campaign issues include the Second Amendment and the space program but not the disabled....

"Mr. McCain still has time to come around on these issues and offer specific remedies in the weeks ahead. Having a poster mom for families caring for a disabled child on the ticket is not enough -- particularly for aging seniors who can no longer care for middle-aged children. Friendship is nice, but families need a government willing to invest more in the future of children who require a little help if they are to live full and productive lives."

Autistic Author Questions McCain-Palin "Friendliness"

All the way from Australia, Donna Williams, a noted author and lecturer who has autism, asks: "Palin and McCain: Are They Really Autism-Friendly?" She received emails from people urging her to encourage people to vote for McCain-Palin because of Gov. Palin's personal connection with autism and Down Syndrome. Instead, Williams is encouraging people to view this video and "see past the rhetoric."

Obama's Positions on Disabilities: An In-Depth Look

Several readers have requested more detailed information about Sen. Obama's stance on disabilities, so here's a third-party analysis that goes beyond his position papers. Way back in April, Michael Berube -- a Penn State professor who has written several books on disabilities, civil rights, education, and politics -- compared the plans of Sens. Obama, Clinton, and McCain, focusing mainly on Obama and Clinton. His article is titled Disability and Democracy. Of course, Hillary Clinton's positions at this point are less relevant, but the juxtaposition of their plans provides valuable context. This is very detailed -- and by detailed, I mean 2,500 words. But if you really want to delve into the issues, this is a great place to start.

Ironically, Berube starts his article by saying he wrote it because: "(a) no one knows that the candidates have policy positions on disability and (b) policy positions on disability are not as important as flag pins." At the time he wrote that, Berube, who has a teenager with Down Sydrome, never could have imagined how prominent these issues would become in this year's election.

Alaskan Mom Says Gov. Palin Is No Friend to Special-Needs Families

I just found this comment to a post I had seen earlier, from Katy. I hope she won't mind me cross-posting it, since she wants to share this information with families who care about disabilities:

“As an Alaskan mother of a 17-year-old young man who experiences autism and hydrocephalus, and the former Director of the Alaska Parent Training and Information Center (OSEP - AK PTI), I am pleading with America to really examine Sarah’s record in Alaska. The only 'special school' that received significant increases to its budget this year is the Alaska Youth Challenge Academy, which is a military youth academy for youth with behavioral challenges.

"There have been no significant increases to early intervention services (children have to wait for months to get therapy, clearly violating IDEA), programs for children experiencing FASD have been cut, and parents in rural Alaska wait months to see therapists in the schools. Intensive needs funding has increased thanks to the brave parents who have pushed by filing complaints, NOT thanks to Sarah. To date, she has NOT been a friend or advocate for families raising exceptional children in Alaska. In fact, today Alaska is years behind in methodology and access to services compared to most states.

"It wasn’t this way when my son was a baby in the early ’90s. He didn’t have to wait for early intervention services, and I am convinced that is one the main reasons why he will be attending college in two years and studying abroad in Sweden in four."

Read the orginal post and comments: "Sarah Palin: Special Needs/Autism Advocate or Savvy Speaker?"

Christopher Reeve & Sarah Palin: A Father Makes a Case for Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research is an emotional and often divisive issue that I wasn’t going to raise until I came across this excellent post from Don Reed, sponsor of the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999 and founder and co-chair of Californians for Cures. The Roman Reed Act was named for his son, who at 19, broke his neck in a college football game and was paralyzed from the shoulders down.

This legislation helped created the nation's first state-funded embryonic stem cell research, and Don Reed writes: "Today, we have hope. But it would all be swept away by Sarah Palin. Embryonic stem cell research would quite literally become against the law if Sarah Palin and the GOP get their way. The official Republican platform calls for the complete prohibition of embryonic stem cell research, both public and private; even George Bush did not take such an extreme position.

"Not only paralysis cure is at risk. We are fighting for relief from cancer, which killed my mother and older sister. Embryonic stem cell research is crucial in the battle against Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, stroke, diabetes, blindness -- and Down Syndrome. In England, where the government supports it, embryonic stem cell research led to a clearer understanding of the causes of Down Syndrome, an important step towards cure."

Reed also points out that scientists overwhelmingly support stem cell research. Just recently, inspired by Christopher Reeve's advocacy, a bipartisan bill was introduced to expand stem cell research policies. And 518 health organizations, patient advocacy groups, research universities, scientific societies, religious groups, and other interested institutions and associations supported it. On the other side, opposing the legislation, were just 17 groups -- all of them conservative religious and ideological groups. I'll list those 17 here, but for the whole list of 518, you'll need to visit Reed's blog post and scan through about 14 pages of organizations like the American Medical Association, the National Down Syndrome Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, AARP, the ARC of the United States, and more, and more, and more.

17 opposed:
National Right to Life Committee
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Family Research Council
Christian Coalition
Concerned Women for America
Focus on the Family
Christian Medical Association
Eagle Forum
Traditional Values Coalition
Southern Baptist Convention
Susan B. Anthony List
Republican National Committee for Life
Cornerstone Policy Research
Culture of Life Foundation
Religious Freedom Coalition
Coral Ridge Ministries
Center For Reclaiming America

And now you can add to that list Gov. Palin, our potential vice president (who recently claimed that Sen. McCain would put her in charge of innovative research to find cures for diseases). I know this is a sensitive ethical issue -- but if we are serious about finding cures, I'm more inclined to listen to 518 expert organizations that do research and seek cures for a living rather than 17 religious/ideological organizations that want to impose their beliefs on the scientific community. What about you?