We are moving into another period with a Democratic House and a Republican president, and this tells me there will be opportunities for fantastic advances in disability rights. We need an omnibus disability rights bill.
Andrew Straw articles
Andrew Straw is a person with disabilities who practices disability law and engages in disability reform advocacy. See his website here. http://disability.andrewstraw.com/ Straw is a Virginia lawyer and has served as corporate counsel for billionaire Alan M. Voorhees, who designed the Interstate Highway System and the Metro in Washington DC. Straw then worked for the Chief Justice of Indiana and was the assistant dean in charge of the International Programs at Indiana University-Maurer School of Law.
He grew up in Indiana, where his brother, twice a veteran of Afghanistan, ran as a Democratic candidate for sheriff of Hamilton County in 2018. Straw was born at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, where his father was training as a U.S. Marine for his Vietnam duty. Straw was thus poisoned on the first days of his life. Straw v. McDonough, 20-2090 (Fed. Cir. 1/15/2021); Straw v. United States, 16-17573 (11 th Cir. 5/22/2019). Straw started a group for people born or poisoned there called Children of Camp LeJeune.
Straw has visited 16 countries and has lived in the United States, Italy, New Zealand, and the Philippines. Straw provided services to the Italian Foreign Ministry as a contractor and passed the written U.S. Foreign Service Officer Test in 1998. For more information, Straw’s CV can be found here. Straw has lived in the Philippines for 3 years, from June 2018 – May 2021, studying disability access in that country, but may return to the United States when circumstances permit. Straw is now a registered voter in Hawaii, which is the closest U.S. state to where he lives in the Philippines.
Reform: Turn U.S. Circuit Judges Into Supreme Court Justices
The advantage of having U.S. Supreme Court panels all across the nation is that we would restore access to the highest court instead of having little fiefdom courts that try to avoid imposing Supreme Court precedents.
Judicial Weapons in the War Against Disability Civil Rights Lawyers
Maybe one day I will be able to escape this and get back to my disability civil rights leadership. Maybe one day, there will even be an apology from the 7th Circuit. Not holding my breath except for the manure.
Camp LeJeune Poisoning Reform Must be Prioritized
It is agonizingly slow trying to get justice for those born and poisoned at Camp LeJeune. I asked to overturn the denial of my Camp LeJeune Family Member Program application. I am still waiting.
Consequences of the Camp LeJeune Poisoning to Me and My Family
The Marine Corps and the judges who have been violating my disability and constitutional rights. They must be punished. Otherwise, more tragedies will happen as U.S. Marines are ordered to cut corners.
Virginia Can Fix Signature Gathering For Disabled Candidates
I have a suggestion that would improve the ability of disabled candidates and disabled voters to connect with each other and enable petitions for ballot access to be signed.
Court Decision Could Open Access to the Ballot for Disabled Candidates
It makes no sense at all for states to be registering people to vote online, but then not using that same system to make it easy for voters to sign ballot access petitions.
Docsmit: New Tool Helps Regular People Access the Legal System
Sometimes, when a person wishes to file a lawsuit to have their rights enforced, the Court requires paper filings through the U.S. Mail. In 2018, this seems like an archaic method of filing documents, and it is archaic. Enter Docsmit.
How ADA Reform Legislation Can Expand American Democracy
When the ADA and Rehab Act can be used to expand democratic inclusion, that’s the moment when people with disabilities can make that great leap forward into public office, even if they are poor and disabled.
Disability, Democracy and Mixed-Member Proportional Representation
New Zealand’s Mixed-Member Proportional election system would be good for disabled people in the United States because disability concerns could be heard in Congress more easily.