Senator Tom Harkin to Participate in Disability Issue Forum as Senator Barack Obama's...

Senator Tom Harkin to Participate in Disability Issue Forum as Senator Barack
Obama's Surrogate

Harkin has advised Obama's campaign disability policy, considered Obama's
closest advisor on disability issues

WASHINGTON, July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Democratic presidential
candidate Barack Obama's campaign has confirmed Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) will
act as the surrogate for Obama at The National Forum on Disability Issues, a
non-partisan presidential forum organized by the Ohio Disability Vote
Coalition (ODVC) and the American Association of People with Disabilities
(AAPD) from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, in Columbus, Ohio.

Obama's campaign confirmed Obama will be out of the country with a
congressional delegation on the day of the forum.

Harkin, a champion of disability rights who helped shape the Americans with
Disabilities Act, is Obama's closest disability policy advisor, according to
the Obama campaign. Harkin also advised Obama on his "Plan to Empower
Americans with Disabilities," discussing the policy with Obama and suggesting
specific edits in the policy.

The Obama campaign has also relied on Harkin's lead disability staff in the
development of key disability policy pronouncements from the campaign.

Obama submitted answers to questions about his disability policies to the
AAPD, ADAPT, National Council on Independent Living, Self Advocates Being
Empowered Disability Candidate Questionnaire earlier in the campaign, and his
questionnaire can be read at http://www.aapd.com/News/election/070604sbo.htm.

Senator John McCain agreed last week to participate in the forum via satellite
from Arizona. McCain will share his vision for the future of disability policy
in America to this influential voting bloc - more than 37 million people with
disabilities are eligible to vote in the U.S. He will also answer questions
posed by the forum moderator, news anchor and journalist Judy Woodruff ("The
News Hour with Jim Lehrer.")

For more information about the forum visit the AAPD website, www.aapd.com.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's
largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability
community to be a powerful voice for change - economically, politically, and
socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of
people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and
to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA). To learn more, visit the AAPD website:
www.aapd.com.

SOURCE American Association of People With Disabilities

Rebecca Panoff, Communications Manager of AAPD, +1-202-508-3783,
aapdrebecca@earthlink.net