Presumptive First Lady Ann Romney did not address issues facing people with disabilities during her speech at the Republican National Convention, but she visited a hospital during the week to talk about her own struggles with MS to children with special needs.
It was fun last week to read and report on the preparation and launch of the 14th Paralympic Games, and hopefully there will be more stories to share about the participating athletes, the coverage, and what it all means for people with disabilities and how they can break that glass ceiling — as Miranda did symbolically during the Opening Ceremonies — with regards to more employment opportunities and inclusion in their communities.
But here in the United States there was an event that could definitely impact people with disabilities: The Republican National Convention. Earlier this month, we posted information that we could find about positions on policies and actions taken by both the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, and his running mate, Senator Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. No one really expects speeches made at conventions to dig into substantive issues, but scanning transcripts of the Romney and Ryan speeches show no mention was made of how these individuals fit into the GOP vision for the United State of America.
But remarks by several other convention speakers certainly brought people with disabilities into the forefront; especially with regards to children, and frequently the speaker’s own children. I happened to be watching on Tuesday when Rick Santorum made his poignant remarks about his four-year-old daughter, Bella:
Four and a half years ago I stood over a hospital isolette staring at the tiny hands of our newborn daughter who we hoped was perfectly healthy. But Bella’s hands were just a little different — and I knew different wasn’t good news. The doctors later told us Bella was incompatible with life and to prepare to let go. They said, even if she did survive, her disabilities would be so severe that Bella would not have a life worth living. We didn’t let go and today Bella is full of life and she has made our lives and countless others much more worth living.
I did not see Sher Valenzuela’s speech on Wednesday, nor could I find a transcript, but Nirvi Shah’s article for Education Week, “Children with Disabilities Get Mentions on Republican Stage,” says the candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware spoke of her son’s autism and how she and her husband started their own business in order to pay for the support he needed. Her son, Simon, is now a student at the University of Delaware.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush was tasked with speaking about the GOP’s education platform. The brother of President George W. Bush, who instituted the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, spoke of the strides students in Florida have made during that time, including students with disabilities, saying:
Among African-American students, Florida is ranked fourth in the nation for academic improvement. Among low income students, we are ranked third for gains. Among students with disabilities, we are ranked first. Among Latino students, the gains were so big, they require a new metric. Right now, Florida’s fourth grade Hispanic students read as well or better than the average of all students in 21 states and the District of Columbia.
Finally, while Ann Romney did not talk about people with disabilities during her speech, and only briefly mentioned her own challenges from multiple sclerosis, the presumptive First Lady did pay a visit to the All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg during convention week for the dedication of a new playground serving children with special needs. Last Wednesday’s Washington Post carried the Associated Press article filed by Tamara Lush and Michael Schneider that recounted Romney’s visit. She was accompanied by her daughters-in-law and grandchildren who joined the patients in enjoying the swings and slides. In this setting, Romney did speak of her experiences with MS to instill the importance of working hard in physical therapy.
Hard work is something most people with disabilities seem to understand from having grown up in a society that only now is beginning to provide the career training and employment these individuals want and need to make life matter. It will be up to the voters in November to decide whether a Republican administration led by Mitt Romney is the right choice for providing these opportunities.
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Image by Gage Skidmore.