See What the Senate Candidates Said at the Disabilities Issues Forum at Perkins

At a forum hosted by Watertown's Perkins School for the Blind hosted a forum on issues facing the disabled where U.S. Senate hopeful Edward Markey spoke of his work to ensure access to technology for the disabled and Gabriel Gomez's representative covered his views on issues facing the disabled and pushed for an independent voice in the U.S. Senate.

Democratic Congressman Edward Markey said he was pleased to speak at the school that produced Anne Sullivan - Helen Keller's teacher - and said that he has pushed for access to technology for those with disabilities. Among the advances, he said:

1. Requiring closed captions on all televisions over 13 inches 
2. Making telephones adaptable to those with hearing aids

More recently he has turned his attention to online media.

"What does that mean? If you miss 'Mad Men' on TV, then you can watch it with captions on your computer," Markey said.

See more of the action from the forum at Perkins by clicking the video, above.

Markey said he wants to make sure that emerging technologies are also usable by those with disabilities. People in the industry often cite cost or technological hurdles as reasons why a new technology cannot be made available to those with disabilities, but Markey said he does not buy that.

"We all know, where there is a will, there is a way," Markey said.

Republican candidate Gabriel Gomez could not make the forum, so Mary Z. Connaughton, a former Pike Board member and State Auditor candidate, spoke in his place.

"Gabriel believes veterans with disabilities and all people with disabilities deserve the support so they can work and live independently," Connaughton said. 

She noted that the unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities is high.

"That's just wrong," she said. "Gabriel supports programs that help people with disabilities can find find jobs matched to their abilities and talent."

Connaghton said that Gomez would an independent voice in the Senate who would not be beholden to party politics. He also wants to make some major changes to the way the government works, including term limits for members of the House and Senate, prevent members of Congress from going into lobbying after the leave government and a line-item veto for the president, Connaughton said.

Gomez favors leaving the decision on health care reform up to the states, while Markey said the vote to approve what's known as "Obamacare" was one of the proudest of his career.

Markey also said he wants to end tax breaks for businesses to make the tax system "more fair and balanced."

"I voted to take away tax breaks for oil companies," Markey said. "To give an oil company a tax break to pump oil is like giving a tax break to a fish to swim."