It’s Biden vs. Trump debate day here in the U.S., so with voting in mind, today’s links are all about disability and politics, this Thursday, June 27, 2024.
1. Voter Turnout and Voting Accessibility
Rutgers University, School of Management and Labor Relations
“Based on Census data, voter turnout increased in 2022 by 1.6 points among citizens with disabilities relative to the 2018 midterm elections, while it decreased among citizens without disabilities by 1.6 points.”
If you ever want to talk, write, or just think coherently about disabled people and voting, you need to “Bookmark” or “Favorite” this. The page gives you access to in-depth research on disabled Americans’ voting patterns and percentages in every General and Mid-Term election going back to 2008. There are other surveys out there on disabled people’s political participation. But I think this Rutgers University series is probably the definitive source, which should probably anchor all discussions on the subject.
2. ADA Checklist for Polling Places
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
“In communities large and small, people cast their ballots in a variety of facilities that temporarily serve as polling places, such as libraries, schools, and fire stations, or churches, stores, and other private buildings. 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.”
What does a polling site have to include in order to be accessible? It may be somewhat more varied and detailed than people think. But it’s not a mystery. This is another essential resource to keep at the ready.
3. 90 disability organizations call on CNN to make the presidential debate more accessible
Sara Luterman, The 19th - June 27, 2024
“A 2021 report from the federal Election Assistance Commission indicated that disabled Americans are 7 percent less likely to vote than their non-disabled peers. Lack of access to information was one reason for the gap cited in the report … Many disabled voters also lack confidence that politicians care about them or their issues. A 2023 poll from progressive firm Data for Progress found that two out of three disabled voters believe that politicians “don’t care about the disabled community.” Data for Progress is one of the only firms that polls disabled people as a demographic.”
Disabled people — disabled potential voters — find it a lot harder to care about politics and voting if candidates and journalists can’t be bothered to talk about even one disability issue in front of a general audience. And we find it much harder to engage with politics and voting if campaigns and debates won’t bother to make their content — all of it — fully accessible. It will be interesting to see if the relative lack of multiple-candidate competition compared to 2020, and maybe the sheer intensity of the other issues people are obsessed with this year, will result in some backsliding on disability discourse and accessibility.
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