Equality through the Lens of Disability Voting Rights Fight

Article by Kira Tiller, HSDA Disability Caucus Chair

     In three months, I will be eligible to vote for the first time. But as a disabled person, will I really be able to? Complications from my disability could mean that in some states I would be excluded from the voting process.  

There are over 38 million disabled voters in the United States. However, systemic voting inaccessibility is a still a reality in many states and at many polling places for the disabled community.  As a result, there are consequential gaps in voter turn-out between disabled and able-bodied voters, approximately a 7 percent disparity. With barriers such as absentee ballot restrictions, lack of assistive technology, and physical obstacles, such as stairs and long lines, many disabled voters are left behind. With the recent Disability Voting Rights Week, it is vital that we acknowledge the scourge on democracy that this voter disenfranchisement causes.

     With many elections being determined by a few thousand votes, imagine the difference millions of disabled voters could make. In Virginia alone, disabled voters make up about 15% of the electorate. If the power of the disabled community were fully realized through solutions such as longer voting periods, removal of physical barriers, and easy access to absentee ballots, our political landscape could look completely different.

     Although legal protections currently exist for disabled voters in the United States through Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they are often violated at the polling place. Title II of the ADA requires state and local governments to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to government services and information, including the voting process. Voting accommodations in compliance with the ADA could look like:  providing seating in long lines, allowing voters who need assistance to bring a companion, and adding ramps for wheelchair users.