Clark County Disabilities Coalition

Candidates Forum
Oct. 2, 2008

  1. Transportation: People with disabilities are one of the least likely groups to be employed. They are also most likely to fall below the household poverty limit. Public transit is a key factor in their ability to maintain employment.
    Q. What would you do to ensure that public transportation is adequately funded and available?
  2. Education: Young adults with disabilities need adequate training and education early in their school years to ensure that they are employable and productive in society. To accomplish this we need employers to partner with the educational systems in the training of these young adults.
    Q. How would you encourage prospective employers to partner with schools in this way?
  3. Budget: The state faces major budget challenges at least for the next biennium.
    Q. How will you protect services that are essential for people with disabilities in this economic climate?
  4. Housing: Thanks to medical advances people with disabilities are living longer lives. Many who currently live with family members will need to seek new living situations at some point in the future.
    Q. What steps will you take to help provide for adults with disabilities to have independent living support?
  5. Accessibility: Access for persons with disability has improved greatly over the past two decades, however there continues to be many areas where access is limited or non-existent.
    Q. With the growing population of senior citizens and others with disabilities, what are your priorities to assure equal access for all?
  6. Community Accessibility; Most individuals with a disability would chose to live in their community with supports, as opposed to a higher cost congregate settings.
    Q. What would be your strategy to assure that this preferable opportunity is available?

  7. Medical; Many people believe that access to medical care for people with disabilities is a right that all should have, however it is limited by affordability.
    Q. What would you do ensure that the disabled residents of Washington are able to receive needed medical services?
  8. Medical Services; The lack of medical providers who will accept Medicaid and Medicare is very limited with in our community.
    Q. What do you feel would be the most productive way to increase the availability of medical service providers within the Medicaid / Medicare system?
  9. Employment; Work limitations due to disability affect hundreds of thousands of individuals who are working age living in the state of Washington.
    Q. What programs will you support to assist this group of citizens in obtaining the employment necessary to become self sufficient, thereby lessoning the strain on the states economic resources?

  10. Early intervention: Early intervention programs have been proven to be highly effective in helping children with disabilities.
    Q. Please tell us your specific plans for expanding early intervention services.