STONE DEAF PILOTS – the deaf technology blog. A blog by Kathryn Hill about deaf technology, assistive technology, and tech-related accessibility issues faced by the deaf and hard of hearing.

Ed. note: I updated this post at 14:35 PST on Monday, Feb 11, 2008 to add more information of each candidate’s voting record on accessibility & deaf tech issues, and upgraded McCain’s grade from “F” to “D-” based on his voting record. 

This post over on Daily Kos by “slinkerwink” describes how Barack Obama is the only candidate with consistently captioned videos. That got me thinking, and I did some research: a report card grading each presidential candidate on their accessibility to the deaf.

DEMOCRATS:

Barack Obama - Grade: A+
Barack Obama’s website lists disability as a major issue in the main navigation bar and provides a PDF file titled “Disability Plan FactSheet” which states:

Investing in Assistive Technologies: Barack Obama believes we must use technology to make community based living a reality for more people with disabilities. Obama supports the Fostering Independence Through Technology Act, which offers 21st century solutions, such as home monitoring and communications technologies, to overcoming barriers for people with disabilities.

Obama’s campaign has partnered with Project ReadOn to provide captioning for all their online web videos. Every single video on Obama’s website is offered in closed captioned format and is easy to find. And while this isn’t a deaf-tech item, I thought it was noteworthy that his campaign video features a deaf actress using American Sign Language.

In Obama’s technology record, he supports net neutrality and supports bringing high-speed broadband to every American, which is important for ASL vloggers, video relay services, remote video interpreting, and the like.

Obama’s voting record on deaf-tech and accessibility issues stands as follows: he supports the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, he voted for the Stem Cell Research Act of 2007 and the Stem Cell Research Bill (which is important for cochlear research,) and voted for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act.

The American Association for People with Disabilities submitted a questionnaire to each candidate asking them what their plan was for people with disabilities. Barack Obama’s answers are here.

Hillary Clinton – Grade: C
Hillary Clinton’s website does not list disability as a major issue in her campaign, and has a very hidden, hard-to-find page that outlines her plan for Americans with disabilities. In the assistive technology area, she states she plans to:

• Doubling Funding for Assistive Technology Loan Programs. Assistive technologies should be affordable to all people with disabilities who need them. Expensive loans that weigh down people already struggling are not the answer. Hillary will double loan programs that enable people to purchase assistive technologies and support state initiatives like the Virginia Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority, which has helped Virginians of all income levels (including SSI and SSDI recipients) to access low-interest loans to purchase equipment like wheelchairs, Braille equipment, hearing aids, low vision aids, and communication systems. To ensure that financing such technology is never an undue burden on the work aspirations of people with disabilities, Hillary Clinton will require an income-contingent option that never requires more than a modest percentage of one’s income for repayment.
• Providing More Technical Assistance for Employers. Many employers are hesitant to hire people with disabilities because they are unsure about the accommodations necessary to enable successful work. President Bush has not kept his promises to fund programs that remove employment barriers that keep people with disabilities from work. He has cut funding for the Office of Disability Employment Policy by 41%, and his current budget proposes to cut the Office by an additional 34%. As President, Hillary Clinton will restore funding to the Office of Disability Employment Policy, with an emphasis on giving employers the tools to effectively employ people with disabilities. She will establish a new technical assistance resource center to provide real-time support for employers and help them link with local resources to implement workplace accommodations.

The video page has closed captioning (symbolized with a black “CC” graphic”) listed on some, but not all videos. Clinton has partnered with Project ReadOn to caption her videos, but as stated, not all of her online videos are captioned.

In technology, Clinton supports net neutrality, but voted for the Internet Access Tax Bill.  She supports the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 and voted in favor of stem cell research and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act.

The American Association for People with Disabilities submitted a questionnaire to each candidate asking them what their plan was for people with disabilities. Hillary Clinton’s answers are here.

REPUBLICANS:

John McCain – Grade: D-
John McCain was one of the senators that helped to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and served on the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University, the only four-year liberal university for the deaf. He resigned from the Board during the student protests over the appointment of Jane Fernandes as president of the University>. Fernandes doesn’t know American Sign Language and McCain supported her as president of Gallaudet, so I wouldn’t be too quick to say McCain is “in touch” with the deaf community.

His website does not list disability as an issue, nor can I find any sort of plan for Americans with disabilites. His online videos are not closed captioned.  He does not support net neutrality, he voted for the Internet Access tax bill, and in 1995/96, he voted “NAY” on the Telecommunications Bill S652, which provided more accessibility for the deaf with stronger FCC regulations on closed captions and Relay services.  However, he supports the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, voted for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, and voted for stem cell research.

The American Association for People with Disabilities submitted a questionnaire to each candidate asking them what their plan was for people with disabilities. John McCain did not respond.

Mike Huckabee – Grade: F
Mike Huckabee’s website does not list disability as a campaign issue, nor does it offer a plan for Americans with Disabilities. His online videos are not closed captioned.

The American Association for People with Disabilities submitted a questionnaire to each candidate asking them what their plan was for people with disabilities. Mike Huckabee did not respond.

Ron Paul – Grade: F
Ron Paul partnered with Project ReadOn to provide captioning on his online videos, but the first video on the page is “unavailable” and the videos on his website do not have closed captions. His website does not list disability as an issue, nor does it outline a plan for disabled Americans.  Paul is also against the ADA Reform Act of 2007, stem cell research, and net neutrality.

The American Association for People with Disabilities submitted a questionnaire to each candidate asking them what their plan was for people with disabilities. Ron Paul did not respond.

Stone Deaf Pilots would like to officially endorse Barack Obama for President. He has the deaf and hearing impaired community’s best interests at heart and is willing to provide access for all. Please consider voting for Barack Obama if your state still has not had a primary election. A vote for Obama is an investment into a better future for the deaf and hard of hearing. To continue my support, I have created a Deafies for Obama page on MyBarackObama.com. Please consider joining and spreading the word!

If you are planning to vote for another candidate, please encourage them to make disability an issue on their campaign. Contact them and refer them to this post to help them understand how they compare to other presidential candidates on accessibility and disability issues.