Casey chairs final Aging Committee hearing on disability rights

Last Thursday, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, held an Aging Committee hearing entitled “Empowering People with Disabilities to Live, Work, Learn, and Thrive.” 

At the hearing, Chairman Casey highlighted his long record as a champion for people with disabilities, and laid out his vision for how Congress must continue to work to empower them. The hearing was Casey’s last as Chairman of the Aging Committee.

“From the beginning of my time in the Senate, I heard a constant refrain from disability advocates that their needs were not being met—they faced barriers to save for their future, they were being paid well below a living wage, and they could not afford or access the care they needed,” said Casey. “Those refrains, including from some of the people we heard from at today’s hearing, are what inspired me to make people with disabilities a focus of my Senate career and time as Aging Committee Chairman.”

During his 18 years in the Senate, Casey has been one of the foremost champions in Washington for people with disabilities. He created the ABLE program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities save for their future, made federal websites more accessible for people with disabilities, and propelled the fight for access to home care to the forefront of the national conversation. At the hearing, he highlighted this record, but also made clear that there is more work to be done.

“We have made a lot of progress, from creating the ABLE program to making government technology more accessible,” Casey said. “But as we heard today, there is still a lot more to do—from expanding access to home care to finally phasing out the subminimum wage.”  

At the hearing, witnesses from Pennsylvania and national organizations testified about the impact of Chairman Casey’s work on the disability community in the Commonwealth and around the country.

Ai-Jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance: “I want to thank Senator Casey for your leadership. None of the successes I outlined would have been possible without your steadfast championship, advocacy and partnership. It is daunting to think about facing the challenges ahead, particularly the threats to Medicaid, without you at the helm, but we have been emboldened to reimagine what is possible because of your leadership.” 

Neil McDevitt, Mayor of North Wales, PA: “Senator Casey, you have been a steadfast ally of North Wales Borough, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and millions of disabled and Deaf Americans. We owe you a debt that can never be repaid.” 

Erin Willman, CEO of White Cane Coffee in Warren, PA: “Things are actually changing. We are not yet where we need to be when it comes to disability access and acceptance, but we are getting there. It brings me great joy when I hear of disabled people in my community getting good paying jobs and not being relegated to sheltered workshops for less than minimum wage.” 

Lydia Brown, Director of Policy, National Disability Institute: “Ten years ago, Senator Casey’s leadership in introducing and passing The ABLE Act changed the game. People whose disabilities began before age 26 can now access a savings vehicle that can conserve up to $100,000 total without their savings counting against them in determining eligibility for SSI and Medicaid. Money in an ABLE account can be used for a wide range of qualified disability expenses, including otherwise unaffordable assistive technology and health care, as well as educational and employment related costs. For many disabled people on Medicaid, an ABLE account is also their only available means to save for retirement.” 

During the hearing, Chairman Casey released a series of issue briefs detailing his record chairing the Aging Committee on making government technology accessible, expanding access to home care, improving nursing homes, lowering prescription drug costs, and ensuring economic security for older adults.