Nov 9, 20202 min read

Open Letter to Joe Biden regarding Disability Inclusive Policy and Nothing About Us Without Us

Dear Joe Biden,

Hope wins over Fear, America may be "First" but a divided nation creates an unstable world.

Congratulations President-Elect @JoeBiden

May Fairness and Equality reign over the isms that only stoke division:

There are 43 million Americans with disabilities. Joe Biden will include, protect and uplift these individuals as he rebuilds the middle class.

President-Elect @JoeBiden believes in the "...opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency” for people with disabilities." (https://joebiden.com/disabilities/)

There are 43 million Americans with disabilities. Joe Biden will include, protect and uplift these individuals as he rebuilds the middle class. Source: joebiden.com

"The American story is about a — about slow, yet widening the opportunities in America. Too many dreams have been deferred for too — deferred for too long. No matter their race, faith, identity, or disability." @JoeBiden, courtesy of Vox.com

Australians with disabilities sit wheel-to-wheel in the great endeavour of creating a global society where a person is judged not by their lack of abilities rather the content of their character.

We may have the NDIS in Australia but not to interfere, we equally have a moral obligation that our brothers, fathers, sons and even more so our sisters, mothers and daughters have #Equality of opportunity regardless of their ability, class, religion, race, culture or creed.

A united country and therefore world means there are no Firsts or Lasts, that we divide only when all other options have been exhausted.

We live in an interconnected world of distinct yet mostly homogenous nations

Joe Biden, America is the shining ember on the global hill of democracy, how will you go beyond policy statements and use the spectre of your high office to strike a new deal for the #global15percent who live either thriving or decrying the fact we have a disability?

Joe Biden, What will you do from #DayOne and will you pledge to appoint a person with a lived experience of disability, the ups and downs to assert realistic policy that will be proven to have a tangible outcome for #AmericansWithDisabilities?

We urge you to learn from our NDIS in three ways:

Strengthen the #AmericansWithDisabilitiesAct and lobby to go beyond the #CRPD and have an enshrined statement of common goals, values and aspirations. #BeBold and #ThinkLikeACrip
Make permanent the willingness towards inclusions technologies like Zoom and TeleHealth have fostered, make these ideas ingrained in the psyche of our global society, so great innovators from America are encouraged to enable the world's 15 per cent.
Be a Leader not a Laggard for #DisabilityRights, #DisabilityJustice and #disabilityinclusion, remember #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs and without our voices, your policies are meaningless.