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Letter Gets Woman Speaking Part At GOP Convention
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
August 3, 2000

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA--Windy Smith of Knoxville, Tennessee recently sent a $25 contribution and a letter of support to Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush.

"I wish I could be at your big party when you win because it will be a happy time for America," wrote Smith, 26, who has Down syndrome and says she loves to vote.

Smith's dream nearly came true last night when, at Bush's invitation, she read her letter to the audience at the Republican National Convention on the evening of the candidate's official nomination.

"May God bless you and your wife and family," she read to the Texas governor and the packed auditorium.

Smith then waved to the crowd as the audience gave her a standing ovation.

The text of Smith's letter is available on the Inclusion Daily Express website:
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/802smithletter.htm

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Where Do The Presidential Candidates Stand On Disability Issues?
October 2, 2000
UNITED STATES--The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities asked presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush a series of questions about their proposed presidential disability policies and approaches.

Here are the questions:
http://www.c-c-d.org/presidential_candidates.htm

Here is the response from Vice President Al Gore:
http://www.c-c-d.org/gore_response.htm

Here is the response from Texas Governor George W. Bush:
http://www.c-c-d.org/bush_response.htm

Ralph Nader, candidate from the Green Party, has published a statement on his views on inclusion of people with disabilities at this webpage:
http://www.votenader.org/issues/disability.html

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Activists Surround GOP Headquarters
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
October 5, 2001

WASHINGTON, DC--While presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore were in Boston preparing for their debate Tuesday evening, hundreds of disability rights advocates surrounded and blocked the entrances of the Republican National Headquarters in Washington.

The coalition of demonstrators from several advocacy groups staged the protest in an effort to force a meeting with Bush to discuss the interests of people with disabilities. "We want Bush and the Republican Party to know that we will not tolerate anyone's patronizing us by deciding in a vacuum what's in our 'best interest'", said Marva Ways, an organizer from American Disabled for Attendant for Programs Today (ADAPT). "The bottom line is, 'Nothing About Us Without Us'!"

The group also wants Bush to sign a pledge supporting the Americans With Disabilities Act, the anti-discrimination law signed ten years ago by the candidate's father, former president George Bush. The former president has submitted a brief supporting the ADA in a case to be presented before the U.S. Supreme Court next Tuesday. As governor of Texas, candidate Bush has not officially indicated support for people with disabilities in the case of University of Alabama vs. Garrett -- a case which challenges a person's right to sue a state for discrimination.

Tuesday's sit-in, which started about 4 p.m., prevented Republican National Committee officials, employees and guests from leaving through the building's exits, although some people did manage to exit through ground-floor windows. The protest lasted about 5 hours when dozens of police officers arrived with patrol cars and three Metro-buses and prepared to arrest people with disabilities who were blocking one doorway.

"We accomplished as much as we could here," said Michael Auberger of Denver's ADAPT, as the group disbursed.

In a press release issued shortly after the demonstration, ADAPT leaders expressed disappointment in not getting a meeting to talk with Bush. "After months of numerous phone calls and written requests, and a five hour sit-in at Republican National Headquarters, George W. Bush still refuses to meet with ADAPT or any other national organization which is controlled by and represents persons with disabilities. In effect, he has thumbed his nose at 54 million Americans who represent a significant voting block."

On June 20, hundreds of disability rights advocates surrounded Al Gore's offices in The Old Executive Building for 5 hours, demanding to meet with the vice president to discuss his commitment to people with disabilities and to removing the institutional bias in Medicaid. That protest resulted in a meeting with Gore, during which he agreed to turn over the podium at the Democratic National Convention to disability rights advocates. On August 16, fourteen-year-old Kyle Glozier used his Liberator communication device to speak to the convention and ask for support for community alternatives to institutions.

"While Gore still has some room to improve, when we confronted him in June, he met with us, assured us a speaking spot at the Democratic Convention, and put some solid language in the Democratic Party Platform," said Mark Johnson, an ADAPT organizer from Georgia. "Bush won't even give persons with disabilities the time of day."

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