Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress endorsed the Disability Integration Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would ensure that disabled Americans have the right to live and receive essential services in the comfort of their own homes. Rebecca Cokley, a senior fellow for Disability Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement in response:
One in five Americans lives with disabilities. Yet, for too long, disability has lived in a silo, separate from broader conversations about progressive policy. CAP is proud to be the first and only progressive think tank with a dedicated disability project. It’s why we value our strong partnership with ADAPT and other leaders in the disability community—particularly at a time when President Donald Trump and his colleagues in Congress are advancing policies that would set disability rights back by half a century or more, such as dismantling Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. And it’s why we’re proud to be a leader in breaking down silos to ensure that the disability community is at the table and that the progressive community has the disability community’s back. Disturbingly, nearly three decades after the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, too many Americans with disabilities are still fighting for the right to live independently, rather than in isolating institutions. This must end. CAP commends ADAPT for its leadership in raising awareness about this injustice and is proud to support the Disability Integration Act.
Bruce Darling, a national organizer for ADAPT, issued the following statement:
CAP has recognized that structural ableism has excluded disabled voices from many policymaking tables. It has actively worked to include people with disabilities in its work and on its staff. We commend CAP for its leadership on this and for their enthusiastic support of the Disability Integration Act, which will ensure disabled Americans are able to live in freedom.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Kyle Epstein at [email protected] or 202.481.8137.