From the Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power (REV UP) Campaign at American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and joined by more than 140 national, state, local and regional organizations, the action calls attention to the power of the vote from the disability community at election time. Also at stake is the chance to register and vote independently, with ADA compliant voter registration options and voting procedures.
The new Presidential Administration and Congressional session may be in its first year, but just as critical are local and state elections that often impact our daily lives much more directly than national politics. Decisions at the state and local level – how to implement disability and other basic benefits and whether to cap lifetime benefits, for example – are impacted by local and state lawmakers. Last year, Goodwill organizations served more the 316,000 people who self-identify has having a disability – imagine if each one of us was engaging ourselves, a neighbor, friend, family member to consider and vote on these issues what an impact that could have.
As part of the campaign, hundreds of libraries across the country are promoting disability voter registration week – you can find out more and head down to a library in your area for programming and on-site services to register and get involved. In the meantime we’ll be doing the same here – our work means the most when people make it to the polls and vote!
