From the New York Times:

Vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who has a son with Down syndrome and has pledged to be an advocate for children with special needs, strikes a personal connection among some people with disabilities and their families.

In the two months since she was named as Senator John McCain’s running mate, Ms. Palin has made Trig, and children like him, the emotional center of her campaign.

And families have turned out at every stop, carrying signs, wearing T-shirts and pressing to the front of the rope lines for a hug or a photo with a candidate many of them see as a potential first friend in the White House, someone poised to bring better schooling, more Medicaid financing and greater attention to their cause.

Palin’s first policy speech as a vice-presidential nominee focused on special education and school funding for students with special needs. Many parents say they appreciate the presence of a candidate who understands their challenges firsthand and connects with them in a personal way.

Ms. [Cindy] Thielemann said services for her daughter, whom she described as developmentally delayed, had been sharply reduced in recent years. “There’s been so much cutting, it’s just unfair,” she said. “Her Medicaid waiver. We’ve lost home services. We’ve lost dental services. It’s getting worse and worse.”

“I get goose bumps with this woman, I really do,” Ms. Thielemann said of Ms. Palin, her eyes welling with tears. “Just knowing that there will be somebody in office who cares about this. That there could be someone who cares about this.”

(Photo from New York Times)

This entry was posted on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 9:06 am and is filed under advocacy, Campaign 2008, Down syndrome, NOT2BEMISSED, special education. 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.