Candidate Responses

jeremy kerpen

Candidate for State Representative

District 39

campaign@JeremyKarpen.org

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CIVIL RIGHTS

Do you believe that people with disabilities have the same rights as anyone else?

YES - they should. In practice, however, laws that are crafted equally may not have the effect of promoting equal opportunities. Legislators need to craft policy in accordance with principles of equity that account for differences in ability.

Do you believe that individuals with disabilities should be the primary decision maker in their lives?

YES

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

Will you make it a priority to include people with disabilities as part of your political team and/or as advisors on relevant issues?

YES and NO: I will welcome any volunteers who come to work on the campaign regardless of ability, but I will not be actively seeking any staff with disabilities at this time. I will most certainly seek advisors with relevant expertise when working on issues of ability-related discrimination both during the campaign and when putting together advisors and staff after the election.

If YES, how do you intend to do so?

I recognize that the voice of the disabled community is often lost or ignored in public discourse concerning discrimination. I also recognize that it is far more difficult to organize an effective social movement that commands public attention around ability because the community being addressed is not homogeneous and historically not recognized as a cohesive community. As such, I do believe that, if elected, I will need to make extra efforts to ensure that I am adequately representing the will of citizens who are currently disabled, those who may be born with congenital disabilities, and those who may become disabled in the future.

TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Do you support legislative measures to require that Internet technologies be made accessible to and usable by people with disabilities in Illinois?

YES

What measures would you propose to ensure that consumer electronic and telecommunications devices are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities in Illinois?

I would work to ensure that principles of universal and adaptive design are incorporated into government building projects and that regulatory legislation promotes the development and production of adaptive technologies (e.g. screen readers, speech/text/image integration, Braille conversion software, Braille printers, trackballs, and large monitors.) Additionally, I would work to include language requiring government-funded projects to evaluate electronic products for accessibility as part of the purchasing process.

INTEGRATED COMMUNITY LIVING

Do you support funding mechanisms, such as "Money Follows the Person," that allow people with disabilities in Illinois who are currently unnecessarily institutionalized to move into integrated settings?

YES

How would you increase opportunities for people with disabilities in Illinois to live in the most integrated settings?

I will actively work to fund projects for affordable and accessible living within communities in addition to working to create medical funding for necessary accessibility home modifications. As a mental health professional, I understand the importance of delivering treatment in the least restrictive environment possible in order to promote the health of an entire person.

How will you address the shortage of community direct care attendants in Illinois?

I will work to increase funding for community health and social service programs that employ direct care staff in order to improve agency work conditions and allow them to pay competitive wages which would attract more qualified applicants to the field.

HOUSING

What would you do to increase the availability of affordable, accessible, integrated housing opportunities in the community for low and moderate income people with disabilities and their families?

I intend to work diligently to develop more funding for affordable and supportive housing throughout Illinois. I will work to ensure that policy language explicitly prioritizes projects that promote accessibility and universal design principles, inclusion of family-size units, regional income-based affordability, and community integration of living and services.

EMPLOYMENT

What steps would you take to reduce employment barriers and improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities in your district and in the entire state of Illinois?

I will work with local advocacy groups, current government initiatives (e.g. www.disabilityworks.org), and review relevant employment law in order to determine areas where employment opportunities, conditions, and law enforcement can be strengthened with increased regulation, economic incentives, or public relations.

EDUCATION

Federal and state laws require that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment and that appropriate accommodations and support services are provided to them. How would you ensure that these laws are enforced in Illinois?

I will work to ensure that appropriate funding is available for public schools to develop and implement necessary facility and human resource accomodations. Policy should clearly articulate a statewide universal minimum standard and provide districts with all necessary guidance and resources for implementation thereof. Appropriate enforcement may require the creation of a state regulatory body with representatives in each school district.

HEALTHCARE

What steps would you take to ensure that people with disabilities in Illinois have access to affordable, quality health care that is responsive to their individual needs?

My main legislative priority upon election is to work toward passing House Bill 311, which creates a statewide Single-Payer Healthcare system that is run not-for-profit, and covers every person regardless of disability or preexisting condition.

How would you improve the quality of health and rehabilitation services provided to veterans with disabilities in Illinois?

Additional funding and facilities dedicated to veteran care could be prioritized in any new healthcare legislation.

TRANSPORTATION

What would you do to expand access to affordable, accessible transportation for people with disabilities in Illinois, especially in rural areas?

As gas prices continue to rise and we can no longer ignore the costs of relying on a transportation system designed for individual convenience, Illinois will need to make significant investment in public transportation solutions that increase integration between urban, suburban, and rural communities. I will strongly advocate for reducing automotive industry subsidies and increasing funding for public transportation projects that are affordable and accessible - high-speed trains, expanded bus routes, street level trams, and fuel-efficient individual family transportation.

VOTING

What steps would you take to ensure that voters with disabilities in Illinois are able to vote privately and independently?

Incorporation of accessible equipment and facilities in every precinct across Illinois. It is important to make use of equipment such as privacy screens, adjustable height voting tables, large screen electronic voting machines, headphones with audio translation, and Braille paper ballots. Additionally, Illinois could continue to support early voting and mail-in ballot programs.