Pete Buttigieg Outlines Strategy for People with Disabilities

Pete Buttigieg took to BuzzFeed News this weekend to outline in an op-ed what he calls the “most comprehensive and ambitious disability policy plan yet proposed in the 2020 presidential campaign.”

Buttigieg is focused on giving people with disabilities greater access to high-paying jobs. He said he plans to work with Congress to end the subminimum wage by supporting the Transformation to Competitive Employment and Raise the Wage acts as well as repealing Section 14c of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful also is looking to create a national program to provide competitive internships to “students from underrepresented backgrounds, including students with disabilities.”

Under Buttigieg’s plan, expanding educational opportunities for people with disabilities would be at the forefront of his agenda. His administration would strive to guarantee that “85% of students with intellectual and multiple disabilities are in general education classrooms for 80% or more of the day by the end of the 2025 school year,” according to his website. The presidential candidate believes this would enrich school diversity and inclusion and give students of all abilities a richer classroom experience.

Related Article: Illinois School Districts Refusing to Pay for Students with Disabilities, Lawsuit Says

Buttigieg also plans to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and will support the Ending Corporal Punishment in School Act. He also will look to expand services for students with disabilities who are transitioning from high school, whether they plan on going to college or start their career.

Other issues addressed in Buttigieg’s plan include voting rights, Social Security, long-term services and supports, accessible transportation, healthcare, housing safety and inclusive technology.

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