An Overview of the Rights Reserved for People with Disabilities and a Call to Action
As I witnessed and participated in the 2016 and 2020 elections, one thing became clear above all else: every vote counts. I had previously been skeptical of the power of one vote, but after watching the votes being meticulously counted and re-counted in states like Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina last November, I changed my mind. It took more than a month for Georgia’s election results to be verified, and when they were, candidate Joe Biden had won the state by only 11,779 votes.
11,779 votes that tipped the scales in his favor and greatly impacted four years’ worth of policy and diplomacy.
No one can tell me that their individual votes don’t matter.
However, the US has long had a problem with making voting accessible to all its citizens. Registering to vote can be a hassle, there is no recognized day off work and school for people to vote, and the actual process of driving to a voting center and waiting in line can take hours.
This may just be a mild burden to able-bodied people, but it can be near-impossible to accomplish for people with disabilities.
The United States has more than 35 million citizens with disabilities who are eligible to vote. However, in the 2016 election, less than half that number voted, with only 16 million votes cast by people with disabilities.
In a country where the president and other major offices are determined by mere thousands of votes, those 19 million people with disabilities who aren’t voting are a huge unused opportunity. Imagine if 35 million citizens with disabilities cast their votes for the candidates that champion representation, inclusivity, and better employment. Imagine how the country might slowly change.
However, to make those 35 million voices heard, voting must be easy and accessible for everyone, regardless of their mental or physical limitations.
What Has Been Done in the Past to Ensure Accessibility
The federal government has attempted to rectify the issue of voter inclusion in the past. In 2002, the Bush administration formed the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to ensure that the election process, polling places, and voting services were accessible to all. The commission has since identified a handful of rights the voters with disabilities have. These rights include:
1. The right to vote privately and independently.
This right helps ensure everyone the privacy of their own opinions by mandating that each pooling center must have a specially trained poll worker that works with people with disabilities or alternatively, it allows a person with a disability to bring someone to help you vote.
2. The right to request assistive technology voting aids.
This right makes the actual process of voting accessible to everyone, whether a person need a physical clicker to move forward and backward through the ballots, a larger resolution screen to help see, or an adjustable screen for voters of various heights and physical abilities.
3. The right to vote by mail.
As was seen during the 2020 election, absentee ballots and mail-in ballots are effective, secure, accessible, and safe ways to vote during elections. Every state has different regulations regarding mail-in ballots, but every state does allow absentee ballots for people with registered disabilities. A person must, however, specifically request that an absentee ballot be sent to their home address. Voting using an absentee ballot allows people to vote from the comfort of their homes while overcoming a lot of the accessibility barriers that physical polling centers have.
The Future of Voter Accessibility
The United States has come a long way with forming the EAC and establishing the right to absentee ballots and assistive devices. However, that does not excuse the fact that less than half of the eligible pool of citizens with disabilities are voting in the most recent elections. There must be a concerted effort to explain the rights listed above to the disability community and work individually with voters to ensure that their voices are heard.
Written by Ryan Trombly
Ryan Trombly was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when she was eighteen months old. The disability causes right-side hemiparesis that affects the entire right side of her body, weakening her muscles and limiting her mobility in everyday activities. Despite this, Ryan has strived to live an independent life without any barriers and hopes to use her voice to advocate for the disability community.
Want to Read the Article this Blog Post was Based Off? Check out https://www.knowbility.org/blog/2020/voting-should-be-accessible-to-all
Comments