1996 being Utah's centennial year, it seems fitting that people with disabilities begin organizing to show how powerful they can be as a voting block. Volunteers from many groups representing people with disabilities are coming together this year in the "One Hundred Years 100 percent" campaign. We intend to get all of the people with disabilities who are eligible out to vote.
In Utah, there are 346,000 people with disabilities of voting age. If all these folks were registered and all voted, this group could swing the vote. This block could elect politicians who are willing to listen to people with disabilities and support those issues that will allow people with disabilities to live as independent as possible. One of these issues is a workable attendant care program. Such a program would keep people in their homes working and being productive, saving the system millions of dollars.We need legislators who know the needs of people with disabilities and the need for affordable and accessible housing. Who would then have the courage to vote for and help implement programs to meet this need. We need legislators who understand that America needs a portable health-care program, which will keep people with disabilities healthy and out of the hospital, thus saving billions of dollars.
We need legislators who understand the need for respite care programs to assist family members and other caregivers to those who are elderly and those family members with severe disabilities. This is only going to happen when people with disabilities organize as we are doing now. When people who make the decisions, which govern our lives, realize that we intend to listen to what they say, when courting our votes, and then forcing them to live by their promises. I hope we can start seeing changes that will benefit all Utahns and Americans.
Mark L. Smith
Murray