President Elect Intends to Execute a “Full Equality” Disability Plan While in Office
Advocates for people with disabilities are feeling hopeful over former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential win earlier this month. There is justification for this optimism. During a hard-fought campaign, Biden issued a comprehensive disability plan calling for “full equality” for individuals with special needs. The President-Elect made specific commitments to increase Social Security Income (SSI) benefits, to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to end the subminimum wage and to offer additional support for direct care providers and family caregivers. Biden also committed to appointing a director of disability policy at the White House. Additionally, he plans to address America’s current “caregiver crisis” by providing more funds to cover Medicaid home- and community-based services for those individuals remaining on waiting lists. Advocates realize that the Biden-Harris campaign delivered an ambitious plan and hope to see their campaign promises come to fruition.
