Susan M. LoTempio, writing in the Buffalo News, says New Yorkers with disabilities wonder whether new governor David Paterson will do anything to help knock down the barriers that hinder their efforts to live satisfying, productive and rewarding lives.

They point out that the laws already on the books — including the Americans with Disabilities Act — haven’t solved the deep-rooted problems that keep people with disabilities out of school, out of work, out of their homes and out of the mainstream of everyday life.

Among the problems they cite:

• Lack of jobs, with unemployment rates reaching up to 70 percent;
• Lack of accessible and affordable housing;
• Lack of transportation services;
• Inadequate support for parents to help children with disabilities navigate public schools; and
• Lack of access to voting.

If the issues seem complicated to legislators, for people [with disabilities], they come down to this: An accessible home, an education, a job, reliable transportation, good health care and some respect.

Most New Yorkers — and their governors — take such things for granted. Citizens with disabilities do not. And they are hoping that David Paterson understands that.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 30th, 2008 at 2:23 pm and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, accessibility, education, employment, housing, voting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post