Issue Position: On Disability Rights

Issue Position

In nearly every campaign stop I make, I note that our Massachusetts State Legislature can do two things very well:

It can "keep the lights" on for Democracy by continuing to move forward innovative initiatives when currently no such movement is possible out of Washington.
And the Legislature can and must--especially now--be a front line of defense for our communities--rising to defend people in Massachusetts from relentless attacks on our human and civil rights.

As Donald Trump and GOP members of Congress attempt to roll back the gains made by the Americans with Disability Act, that front line of defense is needed now to help defend the rights of people living with disabilities, which comprise one in five Americans.

This year the GOP-led House of Representatives passed H.R. 620, which has an innocuous title: The ADA Education and Reform Act. In reality, H.R.620 would essentially remove up-front responsibility for businesses and/or public places to be accessible.

Accessibility in its fullest sense is the right to be seen and not be forced to live on the margins of our communities. It is at the core of what people living with a disability and their allies are demanding. Should Massachusetts fail to come forward at a moment such as this, we risk allowing what's happening in Washington to further erode our humanity.

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