Talking Points link to questions asked of the candidates.
- What is The National Forum on Disability Issues?
- Who is the Disability Community?
- Why Columbus, Ohio?
- What Do I Have to Do to Attend?
- Why July 26th?
- Who created the National Forum on Disability?
- Who Should Attend the National Forum on Disability Issues?
- Can I Ask the Candidates Questions During the Forum?
- Who Will Moderate the National Forum on Disabilities?
- I Cannot Attend the Forum. Can I Still Participate?
- Where is the Forum Taking Place?
- How Long Will the Forum Last?
- What If I´m Not Registered to Vote, Can I Still Attend?
- Will The Event Be Closed-Captioned?
The National Forum on Disability Issues is a historic, national and non-partisan event planned by and for people with all kinds of disabilities and featuring the presidential candidates. The candidates will be given the opportunity to explain their positions on a wide variety of disability issues directly to the disability community. The event has broad interest and national significance during the 2008 presidential election year as it also showcases the increasing interest of people with disabilities to be recognized as a political powerhouse. The event will take place in Columbus, Ohio on July 26, 2008. The Ohio event comes eight months after a very successful forum during the 2007 primary season, when seven presidential candidates participated.
The disability community is a large constituency, representing more than 50 million Americans, of whom 37 million are of voting age. Add to that figure our friends, families, caregivers, and supporters, and the importance of addressing disability policy issues becomes even clearer. People with disabilities include those with autism, cerebral palsy, mental illness, traumatic brain injury, paralysis or any other physical, intellectual or developmental disability.
The state of Ohio has historically played a crucial role in presidential politics. What better place to have a forum to discuss disability issues than the state that is in the political spotlight.
All attendees must register for the event. Visit www.aapd.com and click on the National Forum on Disability Issues information and you will find a registration form. During the registration process, you will be asked to print your registration verification. Bring that paper with you as your "ticket" to enter the National Forum.
July 26, 2008 was selected as the date for the National Forum on Disability Issues because it is the 18th anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the landmark legislation that has improved the lives of more than 50 million Americans with disabilities.
The idea for the National Forum on Disability Issues originated with the leadership of the Ability Center of Greater Toledo, one of the leading centers for Independent Living in the nation. The project was then placed on the agenda of the Ohio Disability Vote Coalition (ODVC), as a natural outgrowth of the efforts of about 25 disability-related organizations that promote political awareness and involvement by Ohioans with disabilities. The ODVC partnered with the American Association of People with Disabilities to plan and produce the event.
The National Forum on Disability Issues is free and open to the public. Anyone who cares about the interests of people with disabilities throughout the United States should participate or watch the event via webcast. People with disabilities, family members and friends of people with disabilities, advocates, disability policy students, policymakers, professionals in the field of disabilities, and the media would also find the Forum interesting,
More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the National Forum on Disability Issues, so it is logistically not feasible to take questions from the audience. However, the questions that our moderator will ask will include broad-based disability policy issues that reflect the priorities of the cross-disability movement and explore the candidates positions by not telescoping a particular answer as the desired answer.
PBS journalist Judy Woodruff, of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer will moderate the National Forum on Disability Issues.
Yes, you can! The National Forum on Disability Issues will be streamed live via the Internet on www.disaboom.com. The audio portion of the Forum will also be made available to radio reading services throughout Ohio. The entire recorded program will be available for download following the event, as well. In many cities across the United States, organizations are planning webcast viewing parties around, ADA anniversary events, and annual conferences.
The National Forum on Disability Issues is taking place at:
The Conference & Technology Centre
First Church of God
3480 Refugee Rd.
Columbus, OH 43232
The National Forum on Disability Issues is a three-hour event, and will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please Note: Registration at the event begins at 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Of course you can! If you would like to register to vote while at the National Forum, voter registration forms will be available and assistance in filling out the forms will also be available.
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) service will be provided during the entire live event on screens in the room. The live webcast will also carry over the CART to the national viewing audience. In addition, American Sign Language interpreters will also be signing the entire event live and will appear on the webcast in a call-out at the bottom of the screen, as well.
