Politicians

Josh Turek, Shooting for the U.S. Senate

People with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the United States, representing between 20% – 25% of the population depending on who is counting. Yet the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives combined have less than 2% representation from individuals identified as having a disability. Iowa State Senator Josh Turek is aiming to … Read more

50th Anniversary of IDEA – Advocates Jennifer Chang, JD and Senator Ed Markey

Students with non-visible disabilities are facing a system where rights remain guaranteed on paper with IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), but resources and oversight are rapidly disappearing. A 2025 reduction in force at the Department of Education has closed regional civil rights offices and cut staff in Federal Student Aid, making an already difficult … Read more

DOL’s Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Taryn Mackenzie Williams

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released on February 22nd, 2024, only 22.5% of people with a disability were employed in 2023. Comparing that to the CDC which reports 1 in 4–or more than 70 million people in the US–identify as having a disability, we as a nation are looking at over a … Read more

US Senator Alex Padilla and the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus

Update June 12, 2025 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was appointed as the first Latino Senator from California, filling Vice President Kamala Harris’s seat. Sen. Padilla won the seat in the following election. During his time in the Senate, Sen. Padilla has championed mental health issues, drawing from personal experience and his life in public service. … Read more

Tammy Duckworth — Senator, Soldier, Advocate, Mother

Grit and determination have been driving forces throughout Senator Tammy Duckworth’s life. As a young child, Sen. Duckworth experienced the bombs and shelling of war while living in Cambodia during the Vietnam conflict. Her father, a WWII and Vietnam Veteran, was working there as an aid worker for the United Nations. Sen. Duckworth and her … Read more

Pete Buttigieg — Building a Better & More Accessible America

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is addressing both the climate crisis and need for accessible transportation, both of which disproportionately effect people with disabilities. DOT is creating avenues for cleaner and more accessible transportation through legislative funding and providing grants for improvements and grants to fund innovative technologies. With 32 years since the passing … Read more

Gabby Giffords — Won’t Back Down

Update 6/16/25: As you have heard, over the weekend Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were assassinated in their home by a gunman impersonating a police officer. The gunman also shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, who are thankfully awake and recovering in the hospital. Melissa Hortman was a champion … Read more

Katie Porter — Congresswoman Making a Difference

[11/15/2021] U.S Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County, CA grew up in Iowa watching Sen. Tom Harkin and learning about the ADA. Rep. Porter sees the rights of people with disabilities that have yet to be fully realized. Serving her second term in the House, Rep. Porter is known for whipping out her dry erase … Read more

Congressman Ted Lieu — A veteran supporting veterans plus cybersecurity, environment, mental health, reliable media, anti-Asian crime and more.

In one of the most difficult times in modern history, the Covid-19 pandemic caused great inequities and great need to bubble up into the public view. These disparities are not new; they just became more pronounced in a country on pause. Americans count on their elected officials to take these issues from their communities to … Read more

Amy Klobuchar attended a fundraiser at the Los Angeles home of Loraine Sheinberg

Amy Klobuchar attended a fundraiser at the Los Angeles home of actress and activist Loraine Sheinberg, best known for her role in “Jaws”. The event was well attended by close to 200 guests. Loraine opened the evening welcoming her friend with great fanfare. Senator Klobuchar talked for almost an hour. She remarked about the … Read more