Palin pledges support for families with special needs
September 4th, 2008
Introducing herself and her family to the American public by way of the Republican convention last night, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin made her first campaign promise. She pledged to work on behalf of families whose children have disabilities.
As Palin spoke, TV cameras followed her infant son Trig being passed from lap to lap by members of the Palin family and by Cindy McCain, wife of GOP presidential candidate John McCain (below). When she finished speaking, she held him in her arms onstage (above). Trig has Down syndrome.
A brief transcript of that portion of Palin’s speech:
We were so blessed in April. Todd and I welcomed our littlest one into the world. A perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig.
You know, from the inside, no family ever seems typical, and that’s how it is with us. Our family has the same ups and downs as any other, the same challenges and the same joys. Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge. And children with special needs inspire a very, very special love.
To the families of special needs – (crowd rises to its feet applauding) –- to the families of special needs children all across this country, I have a message for you.
For years you’ve sought to make a America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. And I pledge to you that if we’re elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. (cheers)
(Photos from New York Times, Washington Post)
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on Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 4:29 am and is filed under Campaign 2008, Down syndrome, NOT2BEMISSED, advocacy, politics.
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September 4th, 2008 at 9:42 am
I applaud Sarah Palin for her decision to follow through with her pregnancy after learning her son would be born with Down Syndrome. Her life and the lives of all her family members will be enriched by Trig.
However, I hope self advocates and families and friends of people with disabilities will not vote solely on the basis of Sarah Palin being a parent. There is so much more at stake.
When I first started working in this field 34 years ago, state institutions were the predominant place where government funds were spent. School age children with special needs were often excluded from public instruction. There were no supported employment programs and community residences were in their infancy.
The changes since then have been dramatic. In New York State we were able to use waivers and optional services to shift Medicaid funds from institutions into the community. Things are still not perfect, but today our state has built a system based on individual choices with a wide range of options available to persons with disabilities and their families.
For the past two years we have been fighting a battle for survival. Using regulations drafted by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) the Bush Administration has attempted to gut Medicaid funding for services to people with disabilities and push us back into those dark days of institutions. This year we barely survived this threat. We were able to do so only because Congress passed moratoriums against those CMS regulations.
The current moratoriums run out in April, 2009; three months after a new President is sworn in. What can we expect from a new administration? As senators, Barack Obama and Joseph Biden voted for the moratoriums and against the regulations that would have devastated our funding. John McCain was absent from a key vote. Sarah Palin was in Alaska.
There are some serious questions that John McCain and Sarah Palin need to answer. Will they withdraw the CMS regulations and make the moratoriums permanent? Will they retain people like Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, who were responsible for those regulations? What assurances can they give self advocates and families that they won’t destroy the fragile Medicaid system that holds community services together?
We need more than a photo-op. It would truly be ironic if a parent of a son with Down Syndrome becomes part of an administration that turns its back on community services. We are not going back.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:08 am
As the dad of almost-five-year-old daughter who has Down syndrome, I’m not ashamed to admit that I had tears in my eyes every time they showed Trig on camera.
No matter the results, this election will do wonders to raise awareness about Down syndrome.