Disability Victory Calls on DNC Leadership Candidates to Commit to Accessibility and Disability Rights
The DNC Commitment to Accessibility and Disability Rights Pledge
As disabled-led and run organizations and allied organizations, we are committed to accessibility for all and a Democratic infrastructure that includes investing in disabled candidates and issues across the country. For too many consecutive cycles, the Democratic National Committee and state parties' commitment to accessibility and disability rights has fallen short. In 2025 and beyond, that must change. We urge that all candidates for the DNC party officer positions to commit to this pledge.
I will push back against efforts to strip disability rights protections and enforcement, including efforts to roll back the Americans with Disabilities Act, at the federal and state levels.
I will work to protect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicaid recipients from attempts to reduce or eliminate these essential programs. I will work to reverse the Trump-era rule that allows the Social Security Administration to ignore the medical findings of a claimant's own treating medical professional.
I will defend disabled workers and their right to unionize.
I will combat Trump’s vow to eliminate the Department of Education, which plays a pivotal role in supporting students with disabilities by enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
I will recognize the threat of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Long COVID, and I support every American’s right to defend themselves from infectious diseases. I will push back against efforts to ban masks, as well as Trump’s plans to promote anti-vaccination and anti-science candidates to key cabinet positions.
I will support local and state Democratic parties in making access to electoral information more accessible and support disabled Democrats’ efforts to launch local and state disability organizing coalitions.
I will ensure that the Democratic National Committee prioritizes accessibility in its own programming, including its organizing initiatives, councils and caucuses, and the Democratic National Convention.
I will invest in building a bench of trained and funded disabled candidates and will support their campaigns for public office across the country, not just in target states and regions.
Endorsement of this pledge is a first step to committing to disability inclusion. However, this commitment must go beyond words and show in a candidate’s actions. Accountability is critical, and members of the disability community will have questions about candidates’ past and future statements and actions when they don’t align with these values.
Commitment to this pledge should not be used as a sign of endorsement from the disability community, which is not a monolith and includes people with a multitude of opinions and views. Instead, committing to this pledge will show a willingness to improve longstanding issues within the Democratic Party that have marginalized disabled Democrats, and will open up opportunities for progress and accountability.
We encourage all candidates for DNC Party Officer positions (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, National Finance Chair, Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation, and Vice Chair) to commit to this pledge. We also encourage organizations to show their support for these values and commitments.
Signatories
DNC Party Officer Candidates
Chair
Ken Martin
Ben Wikler
Secretary
Marilyn Davis
Jason Rae
Treasurer
Matt Hughes
Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation
Reyna Walters-Morgan
Vice Chair
Joe M Barbuto
Shasti Conrad
Michelle Deatrick
Aisha Dew
Organizations
Disability Victory
Georgia ADAPT
New Disabled South Rising
New York State Democratic Party Disability Caucus
New York State Young Democrats Disability Caucus
Project 70Forward