Who were those disabled speakers at the U.S. political conventions in July & August?
It’s difficult to assess whether the disabled individuals featured at the U.S. Republican and Democratic political conventions in July and August were being paraded to score points in a diversity competition by each party or as more serious symbols of outreach and inroads achieved. Whichever is the reality, some milestones were reached: Windy Smith of Tennessee, a 26 year old woman with Down Syndrome, gave a short but poignant speech the night of Governor George Bush’s nomination in July in Philadelphia.. She noted her financial contribution to his campaign and read her letter of support, receiving a standing ovation. In August, at the Democratic Party convention another “disability first” was achieved when 14 year old Kyle Glozier, who uses both a wheelchair and a voice synthesizer, challenged the delegates to shift resources towards community-based services and away from institutions such as nursing homes. Several other disabled speakers were featured at both conventions and politica
