For Immediate Release: August 12, 2021
Contact: Rachita Singh, rsingh@aapd.com
Washington D.C. – On August 10, 2021, the Senate passed the $1 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. If passed in the House of Representatives, this bill will create historic levels of investment in our national infrastructure and promote an equitable economic recovery that will improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. AAPD is encouraged to see the many ways that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act advances and funds long underfunded accessibility mandates in our nation’s transit systems. The bill also provides critical investments in broadband and digital equity to ensure that all Americans have access to high-speed internet and will work to close the digital divide often experienced by disabled people and other historically marginalized communities.
Disabled people are more likely to be injured or killed during disasters. As we confront disasters with greater frequency due to climate change, ensuring that efforts to address the climate crisis incorporate the realities of disabled people is essential. The bill’s investments to create more resilient clean energy options will generate more consistent power for life-giving machines, electric vehicles and their charging stations can be made more accessible, and cleaner drinking water can improve the health of all Americans.
AAPD supports the Biden Administration’s and Senate’s efforts to ensure equitable economic recovery for people with disabilities by prioritizing accessibility and inclusion in transportation investments, broadband access, climate change resiliency, and more. We hope that the House continues to do the same. As necessary as these investments in our physical structure are, their full potential will only be realized with complementary investments in human infrastructure. We strongly encourage the House and the Senate to pass the Better Care Better Jobs Act through the budget reconciliation process to improve access to home and community based services and increase the quality of essential direct support jobs.
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The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the over 61 million Americans with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation. To learn more, visit the AAPD website: www.aapd.com.