What it Means to Vote as a Disabled Person
Hand putting vote in ballot box, yellow solid background. Courtesy, Canva
By Arielle Dance, Writer at Diversability
America just experienced a historical election and disabled voters were able to cast their votes across the nation. The ADA acknowledges that “Voters include people with a variety of disabilities, such as those who use wheelchairs, scooters, or other devices, those who have difficulty walking or using stairs, or those who are blind or have vision loss.”
Members of the Diversability Leadership Collective who voted this year shared what voting and accessibility in voting means to them. Jennifer Gasner (she/her) was diagnosed with a rare progressive disease as a teenager and became a wheelchair user by her mid-twenties. Jay Trivedi (he/him) lives with Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome and uses a ventilator at night. Monica Wiley (she/her) has an incomplete spine caused by a car accident. She uses a cane and a travel scooter. Each one seeks out candidates who have a focus on inclusion, equal rights, and better healthcare. Specific focuses include funding social security, expanding voting rights, and increasing employment opportunities.
They all also experience challenges along the way. For example, the lack of accessibility of polling locations can be one hindrance. Some disabled voters need support with transportation while others have trouble navigating long lines. Polling locations are urged to follow the ADA’s Checklist for Polling Places to make sure they’re providing minimum accessibility.
Monica shared that she can’t stand in long lines at polling places. She recommends that the U.S. consider implementing a nationwide curbside voting law. Monica helped in making curbside voting possible in Virginia and she’s hoping to get it passed in Maryland soon. Twenty-seven states and Washington D.C. already require or allow curbside voting for people with disabilities. Having this level of accessibility would improve the voting experience for so many disabled voters.
Disability rights were also on the ballot in some areas this year, including New York State where Proposal 1 adds certain protections to the States Bill of Rights prohibiting discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, origin, age, disability, and sex — including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes. (This proposal passed with 61.9% affirmative votes.) When asked what voting means to them as disabled people, each person shared how important it is to have disabled a say in topics that directly or indirectly impact the lives of disabled people. Jennifer shared her hope that more people with disabilities are able to vote and have a say in the issues that affect them. Jay shared that for him, “voting means being able to have access to all benefits and access that impact disabled”. For Monica, voting is personal; she’s reminded of the countless people who did not have access to vote and historically fought for her ability to vote now.
“As a Black disabled woman, it is very imperative to me that we protect the disabled voting rights so that we have access to the voting ballot like the rest of our neighbors” - Monica
Voting is an essential part of living freely in your community. For disabled votes, access to voting, having a candidate whose values align with their needs, and making a difference in the disabled community are all driving forces for their participation in votes.
Thank you to Diversabilty Leadership Collective members Jennifer Gasner, Jay Trivedi, and Monica Wiley for your thoughtful responses.