The Center for Disability Rights knocked Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards’ speech in Rochester, saying Edwards didn’t have sign language interpreters and instead patted the heads of people in wheelchairs.
"It seems that Sen. Edwards lacks disability etiquette," Debbie Bonomo, who has cerebral palsy, said in a news release. "Just because I am a woman who uses a wheelchair, does not mean anyone should be patting me on the head. That is so 1950s."
The Rochester-based group said they had to resort to using sign language themselves in order to pass along Edwards’ message. Rochester has an active deaf community, with more than 1,200 deaf and hard-of-hearing students at the Rochester Institute of Technology and its National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
The disability rights group also said there was poor access for handicapped people at the building where Edwards spoke Sunday night. They were also frustrated that Edwards didn’t address disability rights during his 20-minute stump speech before about 500 onlookers.
Why couldn't John "clueless" Edwards shake the hands of these people and show real regards for them rather than a simple pat on the heads. Pretty condescending if you ask me.
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