Joe Biden's campaign Thursday released two plans to support Americans with disabilities — one focused on disability rights and a second on support for the disabled during the coronavirus pandemic.
Introducing the plan virtually, he spoke about his own stutter, saying, "It never fully goes away, but it turned out to be one of the greatest gifts God gave me," The Hill reported.
The former vice president also discussed his experience co-sponsoring the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 behind "the incredible moral leadership of my friends [Sen.] Tom Harkin [D-Iowa] and [Rep.] Tony Coelho [D-Calif.]."
And he called the Trump administration's record on disability rights, including its attempts to overturn the Affordable Care Act and make cuts to Medicaid, "literally despicable, and I don't use that word often."
"Your voices must be heard, and not just heard, but listened to, because this is about an issue that matters to every American, equality and dignity," he said, The Hill reported.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., praised the effort — and tied it to the coronavirus crisis, which she described as "what bad leadership" can do to the community, The Hill reported.
"This is in the benefit of our nation as a whole, and I really do appreciate how responsive the vice president has been," said Duckworth, who lost both legs and some mobility in her right arm in a helicopter crash in Iraq.
"Disability rights are not a niche issue," she added.
Among the plan's proposals are promised legislation to require government programs to give disabled people the choice to "live, work, and receive services in integrated settings."
It also pledges to direct the Justice Department to review guardianship laws that might interfere with disabled adults' self-determination, while ensuring child welfare agencies and family courts respect the parental rights of disabled people and that they do not discriminate in assessing parental capacity.
In the plan about supporting people with disabilities during the pandemic, Biden proposes enforcing nondiscrimination laws and prohibiting "the rationing of healthcare that refuses or diverts hospitalization, treatment, or supplies based on a patient's disability."
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