Washington, DC

Friday, August 29, 2008

Some 120 disability leaders from across the nation, including delegates to the DNC, representatives from businesses, elected officials, consumer advocacy groups and a range of federal and non-governmental agencies, attended an informal brunch at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this week to celebrate their shared focus on ensuring that issues of importance to the disability community are included in the political process.

The event was hosted by the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA) and the American Council of the Blind (ACB) in partnership with Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) and the World Institute on Disability (WID).

A panel discussion during the brunch featured remarks by Rep. James Langevin (RI), chair of the Congressional Disability Caucus, Rep. Steny Hoyer, House majority leader, Kareem Dale, disability vote director for the Obama campaign, Dorothy Attwood, AT&T senior VP of public policy, Jim Ward of National Coalition of Disability Rights and ADA Watch, Julie Reiskin of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, Marcie Roth of NSCIA, and Jeff Thom of ACB.

"Regardless of political affiliation, it is critical that our leaders gain an understanding of, and take action on, the important issues facing persons with disabilities," remarked Jeff Thom, a member of ACB's board of directors.

"We celebrate the inclusion of the 54 million people in our nation with disabilities in the political process," said Marcie Roth, CEO and executive director of NSCIA.

ACB and NSCIA will also join in partnership with TDI and WID to host a similar event at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, September 3rd, from noon to 3 p.m., in Minneapolis. For more information, contact Eric Bridges at (202) 467-5081 or e-mail ebridges@acb.org.

The American Council of the Blind is the largest consumer-based organization of blind and visually impaired Americans advocating for the rights of blind Americans. Comprised of more than 70 affiliates across the United States, the organization is dedicated to making it possible for blind and visually impaired Americans to participate fully in every aspect of American society. For more information, visit www.acb.org.

The mission of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA) is to enable people with spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D) to achieve their highest level of independence, health, and quality of life. NSCIA actively advocates for best practices and public policies that proactively affect people with SCI/D, their families and service providers. The association conducts public policy initiatives through its local chapters and at the national level and actively collaborates with other national organizations on issues of mutual concern. For more information, visit www.spinalcord.org.

Sharon Lovering

Editor

American Council of the Blind

Washington, DC

202-467-5081

202-467-5085