Having a Disability Shouldn't Mean That You Can't Vote
Many of the 51 million people who have a disability don't vote. In fact, only 21 percent do. Some don't vote because they are busy, they forget, or they think that it doesn't matter - reasons why anyone might not vote. But people with disabilities can also be deterred by the fact that many polling places are inaccessible. Advocacy organizations have stepped up to ensure that this population has the right to vote, both in theory and in practice. Check out voting resources available from the National Disability Rights Network, the United Cerebral Palsy's Don't Block My Vote campaign, and the Center for an Accessible Society. Also, the Minnesota Disability Law Center put together a great video that explains why it is especially important for people who have a disability to vote. If you or someone you know has a problem voting, you can contact Election Protection ... and you can even use Twitter to report your problem! - K
And a hat tip to Liz Keith for accidentally suggesting this topic.
thanks for adding this.
I remember this issue well when I was working at Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc. (P&A) http://www.protectionandadvocacy-sc.org/PAVA.htm has their online video.
-RFW
There's another nice video on this topic by Equip for Equality on IllinoisLegalAid.org: http://illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.dsp_Content&contentID=6247
In addition to this useful information, see the interesting work being done on voting and cognitive impairments at the ABA Commission on Law & Aging site:
http://www.abanet.org/aging/voting/home.html