What’s Next For Disability Policy? Here Are Four First Steps

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Nov 27, 2020,02:47pm EST|

What’s Next For Disability Policy? Here Are Four First Steps

Andrew Pulrang
Contributor
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Exploring disability practices, policy, politics, and culture.

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If fully implemented, President-Elect Biden’s disability plan would revolutionize disability policy. It probably won’t be fully enacted, especially if his fellow Democrats don’t end up controlling the Senate. Even if they do, they won’t have enough votes to end filibusters. But there are still many worthwhile changes the Biden Administration can make to improve disabled people’s lives, and others that can be started.

It’s too early to know for sure exactly what the next steps should be. With the United States as divided as ever and consumed with the pandemic and its aftermath, there will be a lot of passive pressure to set disability policy aside as somehow less important.

On the other hand, progress on disability issues has almost always proceeded below the surface of politics and current events. There’s no particular reason why dedicated activists and disability policy experts can’t work with the new administration to at least begin carrying out some of the many good ideas floated [...]