In politics and policy-making, many speakers claim a commitment to finding common ground with their adversaries, but in end, partisanship tends to trump collaborative commitment. In a rare exception, however, pro-choice, pro-life, and disability advocates joined to support a 2008 federal law called Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Awareness Act. (1) In an unusual alliance, Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback and Massachusetts Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy cosponsored bill that led to legislation. In last fall's presidential campaign, both Barack obama and John McCain endorsed bill. A surprising array of organizations--including National Women's Health Network, Disability Rights and Education Fund, and Christian Coalitio--applauded its passage. Much of Brownback-Kennedy bill's success can be explained by its focus on information disclosure. The Law and Its Aims The law seeks to improve quality of information that pregnant women and new parents receive about children with disabilities. The law names Down syndrome as a particular concern, but it also covers any health diagnosed during prenatal period or up to one year after a child's birth. It authorizes U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to and collaborate with states and expert groups, including disability organizations, with aim of producing and distributing information about prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions. That information should include timely and factually accurate descriptions of the range of outcomes for individuals living with diagnosed condition, including physical, developmental, educational, and psychosocial outcomes. It should also include links to information hotlines, resource centers, support groups, and other organizations serving relevant populations. The law encourages secretary to fund cooperative projects involving disability advocacy groups and organizations of health professionals. Brownback-Kennedy arrives at a time when prenatal testing is on rise. In 2007, American College of obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended that prenatal screening and testing be offered to all pregnant women, regardless of age. (2) With this recommendation, more women will undergo screening and testing, and more will receive a prenatal diagnosis. Now more than ever, it is essential that prospective parents be given accurate and balanced information about what a diagnosis could mean to them and their child. Brownback-Kennedy responds to evidence that women and their partners often fail to receive up-to-date information about capabilities and experiences of people with conditions like Down syndrome and spina bifida, and about services available to assist children and their families. Critics say that genetic counselors and obstetricians at times convey unjustifiably negative attitudes about life with a disability. (3) Critics also think clinicians' negative attitudes about Down syndrome could be a factor in estimated 85-90 percent abortion rate among women whose fetuses are diagnosed with condition. (4) Although ACOG recommends that physicians refer women to advocacy groups--such as The National Down Syndrome Society and National Down Syndrome Congress--and to local support groups, many patients report not receiving this information. In one survey of women who continued their pregnancies after a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, most said their obstetricians failed to provide sufficient up-to-date material about condition or contact information for organizations that could put them in touch with parents raising children with Down syndrome. (5) The expanding ability to detect prenatal genetic variations also raises separate concerns about accuracy of some prenatal diagnoses. With a new technique called microarray comparative genome hybridization, scientists can analyze fetal DNA to identify at least twice as many harmful variations as are identified by customary prenatal tests. …