Fear not-this post will not attempt to sway your vote towards or away from any particular candidate.
Even though my mind is certainly made up, I case less about WHO you vote for and more about the fact that you do..VOTE.
People with disabilities are twenty percent less likely to vote than able-bodied people. They are ten percent less likely to even be registered and four times more likely to encounter problems at the polls-on the occasions that we do make it that far. Take a moment to think of all the issues that particularly impact our community: education, civil rights, employment, healthcare...the list could be endless. ALL those issues are largely decided for our community because our voices are not heard in elections.
These statistics were shocking to me. Unfortunately-they don't seem like breaking news to either political party. According to researchers, campaigners are less likely to contact people with disabilities compared to other potential voters. Depending on how you look at it, this could leave us less informed, prioritized, or less bothered during dinnertime by those annoying calls.
In only a few days, we have a chance to make our own change-let's start with these numbers! Whatever you feel like on that day, whatever you have to do, make it your top priority to VOTE. What seems to hold some people back is a history of bad experiences at the polling place. As a child, I remember waiting at the foot of a staircase for my mother to vote. Many polling places haven't made much progress. In 1998, fewer than 10% of polling places in New York met accessibility standards. That's completely unacceptable. Can you imagine the reaction if fewer than 10% of polling places allowed voters who were Jewish or Asian? Technology, grants, and the sheer time these places have had to meet basic standards make their refusal no less deliberate than the outright banning of another group.
When the Center of Independence for the Disabled New York surveyed poll workers in 1997, this is what they had to say in defense of the more than 50% of the polling stations that were completely impossible for a person with a disability to enter:
"We don't have handicapped people in this neighborhood."
"In my twenty years working at this site, I've never seen a handicapped person vote."
Angry yet? Take that anger and ACT. Here's how:
Drag, invite, Strongly encourage another person with a disability to join you to vote on election day. We need to demonstrate our power in numbers.- Ask your friends with disabilities about their plans for transportation and assistance (if needed) on election day. Do they need help looking up the closest polling place or a bus route? Maybe they need support arranging a personal attendant to make the short trip with them. Advocate through your alliances with service organizations. Help them make phone calls, send some e-mails, whatever it takes. This campaign feels like its lasted so long that we could all use a reminder that the end is near.
- If you've tried to vote before and ran into inaccessibility, don't forgo voting this time. Hold your head high, be calm, and find out where/how you can place your vote. Objectively document exactly what barriers you encounter and we'll work together to report these to the appropriate authorities.
- Spread the word. Let others (disabled or not) know how few of us are able to make it out to the poll. Our community expands beyond ability lines. Whoever can lend a helping hand on election day will contribute to the effort. If you'd like to add a "Rock the Disabled Vote" banner to your signature, here's a smaller version.
- Make your vote an informed one. Research the issues. While campaigners may ignore people with disabilities as an important group, there are certainly enough perspectives from other Disaboomers to launch your investigation of candidates' histories on disability issues. Look beyond mainstream media and conduct your own fact checking.
- Finally, share your story after you vote. To change these numbers, we need to let other people with disabilities know that we CAN and DO vote. Did you feel exhilarated when you were able to independently vote on election day? Were there no ramps at your polling place, but you figured out a way around it? Share your story on or after election day-here, on your own blog, or in the forums.
Rock the Disabled Vote!
Update: Thanks to earthabunny for sharing the Don't Block my Vote campaign from United Cerebral Palsy. This innovative program will use Twitter to track voting victories and barriers encountered by people with disabilities. Find out how to joint he patrol, here.
Update 2: I started an event on Facebook to remind my friends/contacts of all abilities to Rock the Disabled Vote. You don't have to be registered on Facebook to check it out, but if you are-add your contacts to the invite list too!
