Over 50 Organizations Unite for Historic Presidential Forumon Disability Issues

Over 50 Organizations Unite for Historic Presidential Forum on Disability Issues Forum with live webcast scheduled for September 28, 2012 The National Forum on Disability Issues, scheduled for September 28th in Columbus, Ohio is set to provide presidential and state candidates with the opportunity to present their positions on a wide variety of disability issues directly to the disability community. The Forum has also officially launched their new, interactive website: www.nfdi.org and encourages Americans with disabilities, their families and caregivers, and the organizations that serve them to visit the site and attend the Forum. This website provides important information for attendees, sponsors, media, and all Americans concerned with where the 2012 Presidential candidates stand on issues critical to the 57 million people with disabilities in this country. The forum will be held from 12:30pm - 3:30pm EST on September 28, 2012 and will feature time slots for the candidates to share their visions for the future of disability policy. President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican Presidential candidate Governor Mitt Romney, as well as U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican challenger Josh Mandel, the Ohio Senate candidates, have been invited. “The National Forum on Disability Issues, the only national Presidential event to focus on issues specific to the disability community, is a great opportunity for both President Obama and Governor Romney to make their stances on disability issues clear. Over 14.7 million Americans with disabilities voted in the 2008 election. With 1 out of every 5 Americans living with a disability today, their voices and their votes will play a critical role in the 2012 election,” said Sue Hetrick, Director of Public Policy at The Ability Center and Coordinator of the Ohio Disability Vote Coalition. “We are thrilled to launch our new website, and encourage everyone to visit it, register to attend or watch the webcast, and add your support to our call for the Presidential campaigns to come to Ohio and speak about the issues that matter the most to the disability community.” The forum is sponsored by over 50 organizations, including: National • American Association for People with Disabilities • American Association on Health and Disability • American Diabetes Association • American Physical Therapy Association • Amputee Coalition • Association of Assistive Technology Act Program • Association of University Centers on Disabilities • Bender Consulting • Caring Across Generations • Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) • CSAVR • Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) • Easter Seals • Epilepsy Foundation • Hearing Loss Association of America • Hemophilia Federation of America • Jewish Federations of North America • Jewish Funds for Justice • Lutheran Services in America • Mosaic • National Association for Homecare and Hospice • National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) • National Association of States United for Aging and Disability • National Center for Learning Disabilities • National Council on Aging • National Council on Independent Living • National Diabetes Association • National Disability Rights Network • National Down Syndrome Society • National Federation of the Blind • National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society • National Organization on Disability • National Youth Leadership Network • Paralyzed Veterans of American • PHI National • Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) • Sibling Leadership Network • The Access Center for Independent Living • The Arc of the United States • The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation • United Cerebral Palsy • United Spinal Association • Yoshiko Dart State/Local • CareSource • Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio • Mary Cariola Children’s Center • Ohio Abilities Network • Ohio APSE • Ohio Association of Goodwill Industries (OAGI) • Ohio Disability Vote Coalition • Ohio Down Syndrome Advocacy Network (ODAN) • Ohio Olmstead Taskforce • Ohio SILC • The Arc of Ohio • The Ohio State University Nisonger Center (UCEDD/LEND) • University of Cincinnati UCEDD/LENDFor more information about the forum, please contact Sue Hetrick at 866-575-8055 or shetrick@abilitycenter.org. For sponsorship information, contact: Kate Josephson at 202-776-0406 or kjosephson@ucp.org.