The White House has canceled plans for a series of regional disability conferences expected to take place this spring and summer, but the reason the meetings fell apart isn’t entirely clear.
Representatives from a number of disability advocacy groups were initially told about the events during a conference call with Obama administration officials in late January. At the time, preliminary plans were in place for meetings in nine cities across the country beginning in mid-March and extending into the summer, according to advocates who participated in the call.
Events were expected to be held in Columbus, Ohio; Austin, Texas; Los Angeles; Denver; Atlanta; Boston; Minneapolis; Orlando, Fla.; and Kansas City, Mo.
However, no firm plans ever materialized for the conferences and none of the events took place. Now, advocates with knowledge of the situation say the White House has canceled all of the meetings.
It’s not known exactly why the conferences were nixed, but according to Chris Thomson, vice president of corporate affairs and general counsel at United Cerebral Palsy, speculation in the disability community is that the cancellations may have been prompted by concerns about protests at the events.
For their part, White House officials never publicly confirmed that the conferences were in the works. And when asked about the current status of the regional disability events, a spokesman would only say that the Obama administration “works with members of the disability community from around the country on a regular basis.”
Hmm?
Besides worries about “protests”, they are scared to death about us physically & developmentally disabled telling the White House off, regarding the abysmal job they have been doing in not speaking out against the GOP in every State Legislature in America & their all-out “war against the disabled” to “destroy their lives” by destroying the social services safety net.
Here in New Hampshire, I “personally” have been having a “war of words” with NH State Rep., “David J. Bettencourt (R)”, the NH House Majority Leader who lives across town from me here in Salem, NH over his “overt & undying hatred against us NH Citizens with Disabilities”. One way or another, I want this particular “Tea Party Goon/Thug” out of the NH State House, “one way or another.”, hopefully via the “Ballot Box”.
Personally, NH State Rep. “David J. Bettencourt (R)” “hates my living guts”, because I am not backing down & telling him to “shove it” with respect to his “waging war against the disabled” here in the State of New Hampshire”.
I appologize for having an “all-out e-mail war” with one of the most powerful “Political Thugs” in my State of New Hampshire…
The cynic’s answer might be that we (PWD’s) are not electorally important enough to spend time on during an election year.
The article’s speculation about concerns about protests as another possible answer is disappointing if true. I thought fleeing from or containing protesters went out with the last administration.
This is because he is taking away the help that they need
Protests? You must be kidding. Another attempt to silence the voice of the disabled. Canceling meetings doesn’t mean that the “problem” will just go away.
Thomas, your comments are another attempt to make disability advocacy into a partisan issue and create a litmus test where by if you have a disability or care for an individual with disabilities you must be liberal and a member of the DNC.
That is simply absurd. Politicians look out for themselves. All of them! All of the time! The first job of any politician is to get elected or reelected. That’s it! If you can help them do that, they love you. If not, they have not need for you.
For you or anyone else to make this anything other than what it is, is silly.
THIS PROBABLY ISN’T GOING TO BE A POPULAR POST BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF SPECULATION HERE ANYWAY SO HERE’S MY TWO CENTS WORTH. THINK ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY MAYBE SOMEBODY GOT THEIR CALENDER’S CONFUSED AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT EVENTS THAT HAD ALREADY HAPPENED. LAST SUMMER THERE WERE REGIONAL SUMMITS SPONSORED BY THE WHITE HOUSE AND LED BY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. ONE OF THEM WAS IN LA I KNOW FOR A FACT THEY HAPPENED BECAUSE MY FRIEND KESSIA WENT TO REPRESENT OUR AREA.