Jon22: The Website of Jonathan Dobres

During Wednesday’s Presidential Debate, John McCain was asked about Sarah Palin’s vice presidential qualifications. After some nonsensical blather about how he’s so very proud of her, McCain drifted into talking about Palin as a reformer (abuse of power investigations notwithstanding).  Then he offered this odd segue:

“And, by the way, she also understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we’ve got to find out what’s causing it, and we’ve got to reach out to these families, and help them, and give them the help they need as they raise these very special needs children. She understands that better than almost any American that I know. I’m proud of her.”

There are three (count ‘em, three) things wrong with this statement. First, McCain started talking about autism when in fact Governor Palin’s newborn son has Down Syndrome. Autism and Down Syndrome have about as much in common as AIDS and cancer, and McCain’s “by the way” opener suggests he was simply desperate to crowbar this human interest issue into the debate. If you’re going to talk about disability, Senator McCain, I’d prefer that you don’t do it as a half-assed afterthought.

Second, autism is not “on the rise,” as many people like to believe. It has nothing to do with vaccines. It has nothing to do with television–television, for God’s sake. The purported “increase” in autism has more to do with the increasing public awareness of “autism spectrum” disorders, a diagnostic category so broad that it can include everything from profound behavioral problems to shyness. For more, I refer you to the expert.

Third, and most importantly, Sarah Palin does not understand the unique problems faced by special needs families. I’m not saying that Palin, like many mothers, hasn’t grappled with the awful ambivalence that comes with the prospect of a disabled child. You want to love that child as much as anything, but at the same time, it’s not what you signed up for. This child will never go to college, never raise his own family, and never be what you thought your children would be. This child will struggle for his entire life and likely die young. That’s a hard reality to confront, and Palin has been commendably open about her feelings.

However, Palin hasn’t even begun to see that the biggest part of “special needs” is the word “needs”.  Trig Palin is just six months old, and it’s not yet clear how his Down Syndrome will affect him. Whatever the future holds for him, he will certainly require a lifetime of special education classes, workshops, constant extra attention, and incur any number of extra medical expenses for the constellation of health issues that disproportionately afflict the Down Syndrome population.

Moreover, Palin’s relationship with her son and his disability is not the norm. Do you honestly believe that in the midst of a presidential campaign she’s been caring for him as the “average mother” would? Palin enjoys the support of a large family network and, undoubtedly, a cadre of professional caregivers to look after her children, special needs or not. Her large gubernatorial salary ensures that she’ll have no trouble covering Trig’s substantial medical expenses, eliminating a stress that many special needs families confront at every visit to the doctor. The average family also doesn’t have the luxury of billing the government per diem.

We shouldn’t begrudge Palin her enviable financial situation. This will, at the least, guarantee Trig the best possible care. However, it is deeply insulting for John McCain to claim that after just six months with a special needs child, Sarah Palin is now an expert on the lives of special needs families.  Does Sarah Palin understand the challenges faced by a special needs family?  Not yet, she doesn’t. Not by a long shot.

While we’re on the subject of medical expenses, I should point out that the five thousand dollar per year tax credit that McCain is so fond of talking about wouldn’t buy Trig anywhere near the amount of coverage a boy like him requires. I’m a healthy guy in his mid-20s who gets health insurance from one of Boston’s biggest employers, and the subsidized cost is still $1,500 per year. There’s no way that a $5,000 credit could ever buy adequate health insurance for Trig. If disabled children aren’t your thing, consider that medical expenses in general are the most common reason for bankruptcy.

Lastly, McCain makes it sound as if Palin will become a promiment booster for the special needs community. This would be a welcome role for her, for as I have indicated in the past, visibility is key. However, we do not yet know whether these words would translate to real action. Again, she has absolutely no history of such activism (or any activism at all). It’s a campaign promise, nothing more.

If anyone is qualified to speak on behalf of the disabled in this campaign, it may be John McCain himself. His war injuries left him with a lifetime of mobility issues to look forward to. Whether John McCain is physically impaired enough to qualify as an American with a disabiity is unclear, but when it comes to such things the devil is always in the details. McCain can’t lift his arms above his shoulders. This might sound minor, but go ahead and try to change a light bulb, or hail a cab, or lift a heavy piece of luggage. We don’t know how these injuries might affect John McCain in his private life, since he is understandably uncomfortable talking about it. Whatever the case, he certainly has more experience with disability than Sarah Palin.