Kareem Dale on the Special Olympics, IDEA, Autism

Exclusive from the March 24th Disability Scoop: An interview by Michelle Diament with Kareem Dale, the "first ever special assistant to the president for disability policy," in the wake of President Obama's unfortunate reference to the Special Olympics. Dale comments on his responsibilities as a member of the office of public liaison at the White House and of the Domestic Policy Council working on disability policy, and about the President and his administration's response to his remark on the Today Show.

Dale also reiterates, though quite briefly, that the administration is still behind full funding IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Regarding the President's singling out autism on its agenda for disabilities and whether this is just a "factor of current times," Dale comments:

No, we view it as a comprehensive approach. I’m on the ground dealing with the autism community just as I deal with the community dealing with physical disabilities, just as I talk to the blind community everyday or just as I talk to the community of folks who are deaf everyday. There’s legislation that we’re going to be looking at for all different segments of the population and when I deal with the communities everyday I deal with them all together. I talk with each individual community. I work with them. I bring them all in for meetings, different groups at different times and with other groups. Autism groups will come in with some of the mental health groups or vice versa and sometimes groups will come in alone. Or autism groups may come in with the blind community. We view it all as a comprehensive approach for the disability community.

Good of course to know that there's support and willingness to listen to the autism community (and hoping that all voices of the autism community are being invited and heard). Dale's statement about what the administration is actually doing regarding autism issues is vague and I'd like to know more specifics about what's going on with actual programs and research, and that the educational and daily living needs of persons of all ages on the spectrum will be a priority. Dale makes a hopeful comment in closing:

Probably right there at the top is the overall integration and inclusion of people with disabilities into the administration and what we’re doing because that’s kind of where it all starts from is making sure that folks with disabilities are included into the administration’s efforts and there are a lot of other people who play key roles in that. It’s not just me. It’s far from just me. It’s more of a team. As more of the (federal) agency folks get put into place by the president, I think that effort will blossom and continue to expand, but that’s a big effort. And then I think not much more different from the president’s overall agenda for the whole country. We are a part of the country and need to be included in the country so health care is a critical issue for people with disabilities.

The "overall integration and inclusion of people with disabilities into the administration" is commendable and necessary. In the wake of the President's gaffe, here's hoping that there can be renewed and greater focus on the needs of individuals with disabilities and greater understanding. And no more unnecessary remarks about the Special Olympics, from anyone.