Disabilities Plank
General Preamble
The Ventura County Democratic Party supports the civil and legal rights to services for persons with disabilities and their families so as to promote healthy productive communities. To respect an individual’s rights services must be provided in the most accessible way and with the least restrictive components.
While California develops budgetary solutions, Ventura County Democrats will support the election of Democrats who understand the severe crisis in all social services and especially to those provided to the disabled.
Persons with disabilities have an inalienable right to dignity through employment, equal opportunity for political expression, and to enjoy the full benefits afforded all members of the Democratic Party. Further, they have the right to participate as self-sufficiently as possible. The California Democratic Party supports and upholds the enforcement and funding of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the Lanterman Act, and all federal and state disability and access laws and regulations.
All Democrats must fight cuts to Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Efforts, Federal Social Security Disability Income and oppose judicial nominees whose philosophies suggest they would dismantle any civil rights laws. Democrats desire that all persons with disabilities including Veterans be able to have a sustainable quality of life in the least restrictive environment possible and in accessible community settings; this is not only a basic civil right, but also the most economical status for the state of California.
To ensure equality for people with disabilities, California Democrats will:
While California develops budgetary solutions, Ventura County Democrats will support the election of Democrats who understand the severe crisis in all social services and especially to those provided to the disabled.
Persons with disabilities have an inalienable right to dignity through employment, equal opportunity for political expression, and to enjoy the full benefits afforded all members of the Democratic Party. Further, they have the right to participate as self-sufficiently as possible. The California Democratic Party supports and upholds the enforcement and funding of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the Lanterman Act, and all federal and state disability and access laws and regulations.
All Democrats must fight cuts to Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Efforts, Federal Social Security Disability Income and oppose judicial nominees whose philosophies suggest they would dismantle any civil rights laws. Democrats desire that all persons with disabilities including Veterans be able to have a sustainable quality of life in the least restrictive environment possible and in accessible community settings; this is not only a basic civil right, but also the most economical status for the state of California.
To ensure equality for people with disabilities, California Democrats will:
Statement of Principles
- Support improved programs in California prisons and jails directed towards people with mental illnesses in order to reduce recidivism;
- Encourage participation and employment of qualified persons with disabilities in all levels of the Party, including interns and campaign staff;
- Ensure that all clubs, county committees, and organizations have all the support and training necessary to include persons with disabilities in their organization and also know how to reach out to voters with disabilities;
- Ensure that all political headquarters are accessible to the point that persons with disabilities can participate;
- Encourage more balanced participation of people with disabilities on state commissions, municipal boards and at all levels of political and civic action;
- Support disabled persons rights vis-a-vis violations by the State of California;
- Promote early diagnosis and access to treatment as well as adequate homecare support for children, veterans, and others with disabilities;
- Work with unions to promote alternative forms of employment for persons with disabilities who cannot work standard 8-hour work days or 5-day work weeks due to disability limitations or insufficient transportation;
- Eliminate marriage penalties imposed on Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) recipients, including income parameters;
- Support the review for fairness and unjustness of Medicare's "Homebound" rules;
- Guarantee palliative care; support and enforce improvements to the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan by eliminating prohibitive costs; strongly oppose detrimental budget cuts in Medicare/Medicaid; support and enforce the principle of informed choice;
- Improve respite care and in-home support services, and support higher pay and better training programs for home care workers;
- Promote and broaden financial aid or loan assistance for accessible housing, vehicles and durable medical equipment, which would give much-needed monetary assistance for individuals to pay for improvements to their equipment beyond the Medicare/Medi-Cal rate;
- Eliminate housing discrimination that penalizes or denies persons with disabilities;
- Enforce laws and regulations pertaining to Para-transit, public transit and taxis; promote legislation to require Para-transit to provide services that cross county lines; and penalize companies that deny services to persons using mobility devices;
- Promote a universal health care plan to provide fiscally sound, affordable health care to all Californians that will provide every Californian the right to choose his or her own physician;
- Promote parity of services for mental health and substance related disorder benefits, medical and dental health for persons with developmental and other disabilities under all public and private health care and delivery plans;
- Work toward solutions for assistance to unpaid family members including spouse as primary care-givers.