Ailise Delaney
Ailise Delaney is a Resident Forum Blogger shedding light on emerging issues in Mental Health Law and Disability Rights.
People with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the country — one in five Americans has a disability. It is also one of the only minority groups anyone can join at any time. Research has shown that the majority of voters either have a disability themselves or have a loved one with a disability, yet candidates seem to either (1) ignore issues affecting persons with disabilities completely or (2) use them as props for campaign videos and other promotional materials.
Despite reports of difficulties voting at polling places, according to a Rutgers University study, in the November 2012 Election 15.6 million people with disabilities reported voting. With potentially millions of votes up for grabs, it’s a wonder that candidates don’t make a more concerted effort to tackle issues that the disability community faces. Luckily there is a non-partisan organization working to change that.
RespectAbility is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that is determined to make disability issues front and center during the 2016 campaign season through a variety of means like “The RespectAbility Report” and #PwDsVote* 2016 Campaign Questionnaire.
The RespectAbility Report is a relatively new project launched in June 2015. Describing itself as “a non-partisan political commentary on the 2016 U.S. election with a focus on disability issues,” readers can expect to find “fact-based updates and analysis” from RespectAbility staff writers based around the country. RespectAbility staff writers will report, and have been reporting, from candidate forums and debates as well as meetings with presidential candidates.
The #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire is kind of like a one-stop-shop where voters can find out information about where a candidate stands on disability issues and their plans to address issues facing the disability community. The questionnaire consists of 16 open-ended questions such as “Do you have a proven record on improving or a plan to improve the lives of PwDs?”, “Do you have a plan to address the lack of transportation options for PwDs, including in places like rural Iowa?” and “Do you support legalizing medical cannabis, which is key for people with Epilepsy and others?”
Though all the candidates are invited to complete the questionnaire, not all the candidates have chosen to participate. Sen. Bernie Sanders was the first to return the questionnaire back in January with Sec. of State Hilary Clinton and Gov. John Kasich following suit shortly after. Dr. Ben Carson, Gov. Jeb Bush and Gov. Chris Christie partially completed the questionnaire with Bush later updating his response with additional information. Marco Rubio and Donald Trump have not responded to the questionnaire, however voters can still access information regarding the candidate’s stance on disability issues through the RespectAbility Report.
RespectAbility empowers persons with disabilities to become more involved in the political process and vote, while highlighting important issues that affect 20% of the American population directly and more than half of Americans indirectly. As one reporter pointed out, “More than 15 million disabled people voted in the 2012 cycle, and if the disability community mobilizes this year, it could become a considerable force, with many more showing up at the polls.”
For your own edification, here’s a bonus article highlighting some of the issues that matter to disabled voters.
*PwDs stands for Persons with Disabilities
Published on March 1, 2016