For Immediate Release: March 21, 2020
Contact: Keri Gray, (202) 521-4310, kgray@www.aapd.com
Over 90 Civil Rights Organizations Urge House and Senate Leadership to Address the Needs of People with Disabilities in COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and 92 disability and allied organizations have joined together to urge House and Senate leadership that the third COVID-19 relief package should address the needs of people with disabilities and their allies. People with disabilities are, and will be, particularly vulnerable as COVID-19 spreads across the country, facing high risk of complications and death if exposed to the outbreak and needing to isolate themselves for protection.
The disability community has been overlooked in Congress’s previous attempts to address COVID-19. Now, Congress is working on a third bill, the largest one yet—and people with disabilities are being excluded again. “People with disabilities make up more than one fifth of the US population, and are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of this virus. Congress is not addressing the needs of our community members on Medicaid, SSI and SSD, and those with caregivers, says Maria Town, AAPD’s President and CEO. “Our organizations are committed to protecting the lives and rights of people with disabilities,” continued Town.
The disability rights community and allies understand that swift action must be taken to prevent much of the worst impact of this outbreak. As a united front, they urge that Congress acts quickly so that the rights of people with disabilities are recognized in this crisis. To read the full letter, visit https://www.aapd.com/disability-civil-rights-covid-letter_final/.
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AAPD is a convener, connecter, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As one of the leading national cross-disability civil rights organizations, AAPD advocates for the full recognition of rights for the over 60 million Americans with disabilities. AAPD’s programs and initiatives have been effective in mobilizing the disability community through communications advocacy; cultivating and training new and emerging leaders with disabilities through leadership development programs; increasing the political participation of Americans with disabilities and elevating the power of the disability vote through the REV UP (Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!) Campaign; and advancing disability inclusion in the workplace through the Disability Equality Index (DEI) — the nation’s leading corporate benchmarking tool for disability equality and inclusion. To learn more about AAPD, visit www.aapd.com.