Supporting Disability Rights

Joe is an advocate for the disabled and differently abled communities. Since childhood, he has lived and learned with a moderate hearing loss, so his advocacy comes from a point of personal experience. Joe believes that all people, regardless of physical or mental differences, have something to teach society as a whole. As a result, he believes that we must do all we can to include, amplify, and support the voices and experiences of all differently abled people. Since being in office, Joe has done taken the following actions:

  • Holds a regular Disability Summit attended by more than 150 people, to assess our laws and social policies and look for way to improve access

  • Introduced legislation for Deaf students’ access and a bill of rights (HB2083 and HB2084)

  • Introduced legislation for a comprehensive, inclusive K-12 curriculum in public schools

  • Supported legislation to get insurance coverage for hearing aids (HB2105 & HR628)

  • Joined the Advisory Board of the Pennsylvania Clubhouse Coalition, an organization helping people with intellectual and mental health challenges find housing, employment, and social support

  • Worked on mental health issues, particularly for those affected with Substance Use Disorder

Disability-Inclusive Curriculum 

This year the State House passed the Education Code bill (H.B. 1642) which incorporated legislation by Joe and Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny) that encourages Disability-Inclusive Curriculum in schools across the commonwealth. For those of us who live with disabilities, this is a huge victory.

More than one in four people are disabled in the United States. The disabled community is diverse – from the physically disabled who were the earliest voices; to those with sensory disabilities like deafness and blindness who focus on language and communication access; to people living with intellectual disabilities who are proving their worth and value in employment and other areas of society; to folks with hidden disabilities of mental illness who are often still in the shadows. 

Joe recognizes 30 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act with a Policy hearing and summit focusing on disability rights. (Jan. 2020)

As a person who is hearing-impaired, Joe understands firsthand how a disability can be stigmatized. Joe felt that stigma throughout his youth, uncomfortably aware of his visible hearing aid. Joe hopes that with Disability-Inclusive Curriculum we can come closer to celebrating disability and diversity with pride and we can bring about inclusion in our society, as well as a sense of internal pride and celebration in our differences. It is a shared truth that exclusion and failure to talk about diversity breeds stigma, shame, ignorance and misunderstanding. Every child deserves to be seen, and it is important that everyone in our society is recognized for the gifts and skills they have to share, and if we stop and take a moment, we will see that many people who have lived at the margins of our families, our classrooms, and our places of power like government and business have much to teach us. We just have to be willing to learn. The experiences of all our students will be enriched by knowing these stories and their impact on all our lives.