Here's my wish list for the Presidential candidates (will we find them under our tree?)

1. Each campaign will have a PWD as a disability outreach coordinator (such as Richardson has this year, Dean and Gore have had in prior years).

   
   

2. Each campaign will have a panel of disability activists in contact with each other on a regular basis to formulate policy which is posted on the campaign website, such as Dean, Kerry and Clark had four years ago.

   
   

3. All campaign websites will be compliant with Section 508, to assure access to visually impaired individuals, such as Clinton has this year.

   
   

4. All campaigns will have designated PWD "communities" which are posted on the Home Page of their websites, such as several had during the last cycle, and not unofficial "grass roots" organizations which are difficult to find.

   
   

5. All campaigns will have a policy to assure access to campaign events for all types of disabilities, such as Dean and Clark had four years ago, and post it on its web site.

   
   

6. All campaigns will agree to assure that a minimum of 5 to 10% of their delegates to the national convention, 5 to 10% of their represenatives on the Convention's be persons with disabilities, and assure that persons with disabilities will be part of their staff at the Convention.

   
   

7. All campaigns (including the winning Democratic campaign) agree to target the 15-16% of voters with disabilities.

   
   

8. Governor Richardson will resolve his problems with the disability community in his home state of New Mexico regarding funding for Money Follows the Person, kiss and make up with them, and have them say that they're satisfied with the result.

   
   

Four years ago, Governor Dean set the bar for disability access and involvement in campaigns, with several, including Kerry and Clark following suit. Also, former Congressman Tony Coelho, a prominent party leader, issued a challenge to all of the candidates to adopt his employment program, including enforcement of President Clinton's Executive Order to hire 100,000 PWDs on the federal payroll. While the appointment of a disability outreach coordinator for Governor Richardson (who certainly needs one, considering the problems he has experienced with his own constitutents), is a step forward, we seem to still be far behind where we were four years ago at this point.

I am encouraged by the level of involvement of our community in the Iowa caucuses, and I hope this will be duplicated throughout the country this year.

I encourage all of you to become involved in the disability outreach of the candidate of your choice. And, while we're at it, we need to challenge our favored candidate to meet and exceed the goals on this "wish list."

Can you add to this?

Will Santa be coming down our chimneys this year?

Marvin