The campaign launch comes as U.S. DOT issues landmark $50m fine against American Airlines for violating the rights of passengers who use wheelchairs

For Immediate Release: October 31, 2024

Contact: Jess Davidson at jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-975-0960

WASHINGTON, DC – Disability rights and labor communities recently launched a joint campaign in support of accessibility, safety, dignity and respect for both passengers with disabilities and the airport service workers who support them.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and the United Spinal Association joined forces to highlight the challenges facing passengers with disabilities, call out the airline industry’s failure to meet their obligations under federal law and urge Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to adopt the strongest possible requirements as submitted in comments to the DOT, in response to the proposed rulemaking, from the disability community and SEIU to improve training for airport service workers who support people with disabilities.

In our nation’s airports, the safety and dignity of passengers who use wheelchairs and the service workers who support them are intertwined. Airlines are required by law to ensure passengers with disabilities travel free of discrimination and that airline personnel provide dignified, timely, and effective assistance from workers who are trained in a manner that safeguards their safety and dignity, but they have not invested in ensuring the well-being of passengers and workers. Passengers with disabilities who use wheelchairs report facing numerous rights violations, including bodily injuries and damage to their assistive devices, and concerns regarding unsafe, inadequate, and undignified assistance, while wheelchair attendants often struggle to get by on low-wage, no-benefit jobs.

Passengers and workers both report that workers are not adequately trained, staffed or equipped for their critical work, a point that was underscored this month with a $50 million penalty levied against American Airlines by the Department of Transportation. In the contracting system, airline service providers compete to provide services for the lowest cost, which results in poverty-level wages and poor benefits, which in turn results in high turnover for airport service workers, compounding the issues of training as skilled workers cannot afford to stay in their jobs.

DOT is now considering final rules that could help fix this broken system. SEIU, AAPD, NDRN, and United Spinal have joined forces to urge Secretary Buttigieg to build on the landmark $50 million fine on American Airlines and issue a final rule Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers With Disabilities Using Wheelchairs with the strongest possible training requirements as submitted in a comment by the disability community and SEIU in response to the proposed rulemaking, including:

• Enhanced competency-based training where airlines and their service providers must certify that their employees have demonstrated their ability to perform the work before they are allowed to engage a passenger who uses a wheelchair.
• Active, vigorous enforcement of airline compliance.
• A partnership between airlines and their service providers, disability rights groups, and the union representing service workers to develop and implement disability advocate-led training, drawing on the union’s experience of delivering quality training to its members.

A virtual coalition launch call earlier in the month featured the voices of national leaders, workers, and passengers who use wheelchairs, each discussing the urgent need for federal action to protect the safety and dignity of passengers with disabilities and the workers who support them.

“I am a person with a disability who relies on wheelchair assistance and on a mobility device to get through airports. As essential to me as the engineers who build these planes and the pilots who fly them are the people who make it possible for me to get from the airport entry onto the plane and who ensure the safe transportation of my mobility scooter. It is because of these workers that I can do my job, I can see my family and friends, and be there for them in good times and bad. The struggles of airport workers and the passengers with disabilities they support are inextricably linked,” said AAPD President and CEO Maria Town.

Vincenzo Piscopo, President/CEO of United Spinal Association, shared his first-person experience and the stakes for wheelchair users: “Service workers transfer us to an aisle chair that can fit down the narrow width of the aircraft aisles, then push us on board, and then transfer us again into a passenger seat. A lot can go wrong with all those transfers. And believe me, it does – really terrible things happen to wheelchair users way too often.” Piscopo shared a personal story of being injured by an airline employee when no airline service worker could be found to transfer him into an aisle chair. “Airlines outsource this work to airline service providers, who are forced to compete to offer the lowest price instead of the best service. Our service is reduced to a race to the bottom system.”

Jennifer Kumiyama, an actor, advocate, and the citywide accessibility coordinator for the city of Long Beach, CA. Kumiyama echoed Piscopo’s experiences: “For me, transferring from chair to chair requires something like a bear hug, chest to chest with a stranger. I don’t think the people that are responsible for getting us in and out of the airplanes are provided with the tools and the training and the resources they need to successfully and confidently assist somebody in such a personal way. I’m actually flying tomorrow, and I’ve had anxiety for the last week.”

Cecilia Ortiz alleges that she was unfairly terminated from her job as an airport service worker in retaliation for union organizing; the union has filed unfair labor practice charges on her behalf. “I’m proud that my work protects the rights of people with disabilities. But there are problems at work, you know, that keep us from being able to provide the best quality service to passengers.” Ortiz highlighted gaps in her training, particularly around the nuances of different types of disabilities and the ways to properly support different passengers’ needs and communicate respectfully. She continued, “We need better training, and we want better training. We need better pay and benefits so that we can afford to stay in our jobs and not have to go to work sick. And we need the companies to listen to us and respect our rights to form a union.”

“SEIU is proud to join forces as we urge the Department of Transportation’s proposed rule to be approved with the strongest possible training requirements,” said Rocio Saenz, Secretary-Treasurer of SEIU. “Airport service workers are fighting to organize their union to improve their jobs and the quality of service for passengers they support […] Corporate greed from the airlines has left this largely black, brown, and immigrant workforce underpaid and undertrained for critical services they provide. The workers want to provide their passengers with the highest quality support, but these conditions compromise workers’ ability to safeguard passenger safety and dignity as Federal regulations require. Together, we must ensure the safety and dignity of passengers and working people.”

Marlene Sallo, Executive Director of the National Disability Rights Network, summarized the coalition’s demands: “Airport service workers and passengers who use wheelchairs all want the same thing: they want workers who can afford to stay in their jobs. They want workers to receive competency-based training that’s been developed with the relevant stakeholders and properly enforced – and we are currently in a position to make this happen.”

The October event was moderated by Ari Ne’eman, consultant to SEIU and an Assistant Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who summarized the significance of this coalition: “We believe that protecting the safety and dignity of passengers with disabilities and advancing the safety and dignity of the service workers who support them are inextricably linked. The disability rights and the labor communities have shared interests and are collaborating to advance our common dignity and respect.”

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Contact: Jess Davidson at jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-975-0960

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court announced its unanimous decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) not to roll back FDA approval for Mifepristone, claiming that the plaintiffs did not have legal standing to sue. This drug is used to end pregnancy, as well as treat certain chronic conditions like Cushing’s disease and uterine fibroids. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) applauds this decision, declaring it a win for people with disabilities who need to access healthcare, including abortion.

Mifepristone (miff-ay-priss-tone) is one of two medications used to end a pregnancy by blocking the development of a hormone called progesterone, which pregnancies need to continue. It is also used to help manage pregnancy loss by helping the body to miscarry safely. It is also regularly used to help manage symptoms of dozens of conditions from Cushing’s disease, Gulf War illness, and cancer because it also blocks the hormone cortisol. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, many states restricted access to mifepristone, which created barriers to effective treatment for many people with disabilities, either seeking abortion care or other kinds of healthcare.

After a comprehensive review, the FDA approved mifepristone more than twenty years ago and determined it to be completely safe and effective. Yet in November of 2022, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine sued the FDA, claiming that the FDA went beyond its authority in its approval for Mifepristone. The lawsuit further challenged the FDA’s approval process and the conditions for distributing mifepristone.

Overriding the FDA’s scientific processes for approval and review of any medication on a basis not rooted in scientific fact but in individual physicians’ personal, religious, or political views would set an alarming precedent. This case called into question the future of drugs and treatment control – if it was not under the control of the FDA, whose staff and clinicians are experts in these areas, then whose control would it be under? And if access to mifepristone is denied, what treatment is next?

“A physician’s personal beliefs should not affect whether or not they will prescribe any drug, including medication used for medication abortion,” said Maria Town, AAPD President and CEO. “The Supreme Court rejected a dangerous precedent, one that would have been enacted not in the name of scientific fact or patient safety but because of physicians’ personal beliefs. When a doctor decides to prescribe or not prescribe any medication, the only factor should be what is in the patient’s best interest. The Court made the right decision by dismissing the attempt to restrict access to mifepristone, enabling this drug to stay on the market, and upholding the FDA’s regulatory authority.”

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Contact: Jess Davidson at jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-975-0960 

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the finalization of a new regulation to prevent disability discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The new rule, Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Health and Human Service Programs or Activities, is one of the greatest advancements towards health equity for disabled people in American history. 

“The enactment of this rule is the direct result of more than fifty years of advocacy from the disability community, and the community’s influence on the rule shows,” said Maria Town, AAPD President and CEO. “These new regulations are one of the strongest and most meaningful tools our community has ever possessed to defend ourselves against disability discrimination. People with disabilities routinely experience discrimination in medical settings, where ableism can be a matter of life and death. While this rule will not end ableism, it  provides us with a meaningful tool if and when we do encounter bias while interacting with child welfare systems, adoption agencies, and in healthcare settings that receive federal funds. This rule is going to save and lengthen lives, keep families together and keep people in their communities, and improve access to and quality of medical care disabled people receive.” 

“I am grateful for the leadership of Secretary Xavier Becerra and the team at HHS’ Office for Civil Rights for their work to make this historic advancement happen. I am also especially grateful to the members of the disability community who took the time to share their stories with AAPD to help HHS create a rule that centered us as much as possible,” Town concluded. 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a law that prevents discrimination based on disability by entities that receive federal funding. 

Specifically, the rule:

• Requires that medical treatment decisions are not made on the basis of ableist biases or stereotypes about disabled people, assumptions or judgments that an individual with a disability will be a burden on society, or dehumanizing beliefs that the life of an individual with a disability has less value than the life of a person without a disability.
• Prohibits, consistent with a recommendation by the National Council on Disability, the use of any measure, assessment, or tool that discounts the value of a life extension on the basis of disability to deny, limit, or otherwise condition access to any HHS-funded aid, benefit or service.
• Defines what accessibility means for websites and mobile applications and sets forth a specific technical standard to ensure that health care and human service activities delivered through these platforms are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
• Adopts the U.S. Access Board’s standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment, such as exam tables and mammography machines.
• Detailed requirements to ensure that parents and prospective parents with disabilities are not discriminated against in the services provided by HHS-funded child welfare or adoption agencies, including, but not limited to, reasonable efforts to prevent foster care placement, ensure that home assessment tools and parenting skills programs are not biased against parents with disabilities, parent-child visitation, reunification services, child placement, and in- and out-of-home services The rule also requires child welfare agencies to establish procedures for referring qualified parents or prospective parents, who because of disability, need or are believed to need modified or adaptive services.
• Clarifies obligations to provide services in the most integrated setting, like receiving services in one’s own home, appropriate to the needs of individuals with disabilities.This brings HHS 504 rules into alignment with the Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead v. L.C. decision.

Additionally, the Final Rule updates existing requirements to make them consistent with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), as many HHS funding recipients are also covered by the ADA. This consistency will improve and simplify compliance. 

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February Advocacy Highlights

Statements on CDC’s New COVID-19 Guidelines

On February 13, the Washington Post reported that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention (CDC) was preparing to release new proposed isolation guidance for COVID-19 that would reduce isolation times to as little as one day in many cases. AAPD released a statement expressing severe concern and asking the CDC and the Biden administration to change course. That statement can be read here.

Today, March 1, the CDC released that new guidance, titled Respiratory Virus Guidelines. AAPD published a statement again to express disappointment and frustration with the new guidance, and our concerns for the disability community amidst its changes. Read that statement here. 

AAPD Comments on the DoJ’s Proposed Accessibility Standards for Medical Diagnostic Equipment

AAPD submitted comments in support of the Department of Justice’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability: Accessibility of Medical Diagnostic Equipment of State and Local Government Entities. This proposed rule would implement accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment (MDE), including exam tables, diagnostic imaging machines such as those used for mammography, and more under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The U.S. Access Board released these accessibility standards for MDE in 2017, and this proposed rule from the Department of Justice would make them enforceable. Read our comments here. 

AAPD Comments to AbilityOne Commission on Proposed Regulation on Competition

AAPD submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget and the AbilityOne Commission on the proposed regulation, Supporting Competition in the AbilityOne Program. Established in 1938, the AbilityOne program provides employment opportunities and related supports to 45,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities and provides products and services to the U.S. government and armed services.  AAPD is concerned that this proposed regulation would substantially alter the purpose of the AbilityOne program by making costs the main consideration when reviewing applications for AbilityOne contracts.  Read our comments here. 

AAPD Asks President Biden to Include Disability Policy Priorities in State of the Union Address

AAPD sent a letter to President Biden asking him to include people with disabilities and key disability policy priorities in his upcoming State of the Union address, scheduled to be delivered to a Joint Session of Congress on March 7. Read our letter to the President here. 

AAPD Attends Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Conference in Philadelphia

On February 6th and 7th, Maria Town, AAPD President and CEO, and Gaby Madriz, AAPD Chief Operating Officer, attended The Equity and Social Justice Relationships Winter Convening in Philadelphia, hosted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The convening brought together leaders from various non-profit organizations who focus on different aspects of health equity. The convening was the first in-person gathering of this cohort of leaders and provided an invaluable opportunity to build relationships for mutual support and collaboration. AAPD is excited to continue to build upon the connections forged at the convening in order to advance our shared goals of increasing health equity through advocacy and civic engagement within our communities. 

Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Fellows Visit Washington, D.C.

February 22-25, fellows in the 2023 Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program gathered in Washington D.C. to put their legislative advocacy skills into action and build connections within the disability community. The Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program, started in 2020, is designed for young Black disabled advocates (ages 18 – 30) who are committed to the social, political, and economic issues surrounding the intersections of the Black and Disability communities. The fellows met with Members of Congress, visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture, toured the We Who Believe in Freedom Exhibit at the MLK Library, and more. Read about the leaders from our 2023 cohort here. 

AAPD Submits Written Testimony Regarding Disabled Entrepreneurs

On January 30, 2024 the Committee on Small Business held an Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development Subcommittee hearing titled “Pathways to Success: Supporting Entrepreneurs and Employees with Disabilities.” AAPD submitted written testimony on the barriers disabled entrepreneurs and employees face and what can be done to resolve these issues, such as passing the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act. You can read the full testimony here. 

REV UP Updates

New U.S. Senate Bills Improving Democracy

This month, the REV UP network has been excited about the release of multiple bills working to improve our democracy!

The Accessible Voting Act establishes an Office of Accessibility in the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, requires states to create accessible voting websites, requires states to allow no-excuse absentee voting for all voters and provide accessible absentee digital blank ballots, authorizes funding for states to ensure polling place accessibility, and more. 

The Removing Access Barriers to Running for Elected Office for People with Disabilities Act protects candidate’s who need access to crucial federal disability benefits. 

Lastly, the AID (Accessibility and Inclusion to Diversify) Local Government Leadership Act supports accommodations for local elected officials. 

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore and improve the Voting Rights Act by adding back in protections against racial discrimination in voting and representation. Maria Town, President and CEO of AAPD, said of the bill, “We have seen a disturbing increase in voter suppression laws at the state-level with policies that specifically create barriers for disabled voters. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is a crucial protection against discriminatory voting laws. We urge Congress to pass this law so we can get closer to a democracy where every voter has full access to their right.”

To learn more about these bills and get engaged in advocacy, register to attend REV UP National Calls and sign up for the REV UP newsletter. 

Technology Policy

NTIA Workshop at NDIA conference 

AAPD participated in a workshop on disability inclusion at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance conference in Philadelphia this month. AAPD urged state planners to reach out to the federally funded networks to learn more about the needs of our community, and highlighted the need to pay for assistive devices that allow disabled people to access broadband to communicate. We also urged libraries to work with existing assistive technology to create community hubs for people to learn how it can be used by assistive devices to communicate. 

Conversation with the FCC 

AAPD attended a briefing for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Rosenworcel with the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights. The priorities we shared included advocating for the FCC to create an Office on Civil Rights, an update on several matters related to digital discrimination rulemaking, and the need to secure funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). AAPD reinforced the need for the Commission to address the access to assistive devices comments included in our comments to the Commission on the digital discrimination rulemaking.

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Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was just voted out of committee and is poised to become the first Black woman Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, pending a full vote by the Senate.  Today, we are calling on our network to take action by reaching out to your Senators and pushing them to ensure the fair, swift, and bipartisan confirmation vote that Judge Jackson deserves.

Read AAPD’s press release applauding the vote advancing Judge Jackson out of committee and AAPD’s press release celebrating her nomination. To learn more about her track record on disability and civil rights you can read the Bazelon Center’s research memo on Judge Jackson’s decisions.

Take action by contacting your Senator through phone, email, or social media and urging them to confirm Judge Jackson!

Dial 888-852-7561 and the #ConfirmJackson hotline will connect you to your local Senator or tag your Senator on Twitter and use the #ConfirmJackson hashtag. 

Sample Email/ Phone Script:

Hello, My name is [Your name]. 

I am contacting you today to urge you to support Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Jackson’s personal and professional experiences will increase public trust in our courts and improve judicial decision making on a number of issues, including disability rights. 

In numerous decisions, from her time as a federal public defender to her service on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Jackson has shown deep appreciation for our nation’s disability rights laws. She has represented defendants with mental health disabilities and ensured that they would receive a fair day in court. She has ruled on many cases that affirm people with disabilities deserve equal opportunities for participation in our workplaces, government programs, and places of public accommodation. 

As a member of the disability community, my life has been directly impacted by the decisions of the Supreme Court. It is important to me that the Supreme Court understands the importance of disability rights and civil rights more broadly, and Judge Jackson has demonstrated that she does. All Americans will benefit from Judge Jackson’s presence on the Supreme Court!

Sample Tweets: 

[@Your Senator] the #SCOTUS decisions impact people with disabilities & Judge Jackson has exhibited an exemplary track record on disability & civil rights along with a dedication to equity. We deserve a Justice like Judge Jackson. Vote yes to #ConfirmJackson #CripTheVote

[@Your Senator] I am calling on you to recognize Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s exceptional record and to deliver the fair and swift confirmation vote that she deserves. We need a Supreme Court that will represent all Americans. #ConfirmJackson #CripTheVote

We need [@Your Senator] to #ConfirmJackson, not only for a more reflective and equitable Supreme Court but also so that we can have a highly qualified Justice that is impartial and fully dedicated to disability and civil rights for all. America needs Judge Jackson. #CripTheVote

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By Morgan Dunn | November 08, 2021

Glenneisha Darkins, better known as Glenn, is a Black quadriplegic artist and mouth painter from Miami, Florida. She was involved in a fatal car accident in 2010 that caused her quadriplegia, and soon after she became determined to change how the world viewed her disability. Two years after her accident, she learned how to mouth paint from other young Black artists on Youtube. By operating breathing controls, navigating brush strokes, and mastering oil painting techniques, her efforts turned into a full-fledged business! She finds inspiration for her paintings from many sources:  her childhood, difficulties she experiences, navigating life, and her surroundings. She later received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Women and Gender studies from the Florida Int’l University in 2018. Glenn’s goal is to inspire and motivate others through her personal story and art. She hopes to educate the world on dismantling the misconceptions of individuals with disabilities and help others feel the courage and strength to discover their purpose and share their stories. I met Glenn on the audio-based social app ClubHouse; while listening to her perspective on the lack of visibility on black disabled artists, I recognized how her story could positively impact others.

M: What advice would you give other disabled artists and creatives? G: I would strongly advise other disabled artists and creatives to please keep going— keep creating and keep sharing your story. Throughout my journey as a disabled artist, I learned discipline and consistency is very much needed. When my purpose looked slow, bleak, I stretched whatever strength I had to find ways to stay creative. All sorts of challenges and obstacles definitely found its way to me, but I also found a way to make it work in my favor. I personally don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me or my situation so I strive to be better than I was yesterday. I look at myself as a source of motivation to keep creating what I want and what makes me happy. I found that those same challenges and obstacles makes for a beautiful story to share. You never know who’s watching! M: What are you looking forward to in the future? G: I want to continue to create so I’m able to be a household name in museums, in celebrity homes. I want to share my journey on a TedTalk. I honestly just look forward to expanding my art business and staying healthy! M: What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work? G: I schedule days to be in nature to see how colors complement each other. I listen to music and other creatives via podcasts or Youtube. I’m always looking at tutorials or documentaries on color mixing and oil painting portraits. I’m very motivated by other artists and when I see my earlier work, I challenge myself.

M: Thinking about the things you have created, is there something you hated but the public may have loved – and perhaps purchased? G: Yes, all of my Nipsey portraits. As I’m painting, I see it one way but at a distance, I second guess everything. Instant cringe. I want to do better when I capture him. I’m working on doing practice pieces with only him. M: Has rejection ever affected your creative process? Explain G: No, but criticism has definitely fueled my motivation to prove others wrong. I’m very sensitive when it comes to my art. Sensitive in a way that I’m motivated and inspired to prove to myself I am a real artist. I’m working on being more confident in art that isn’t what people want, but what I like and see as a masterpiece. So critics and negative comments has definitely affected how I approach my work. M: In your opinion, how can black disabled creatives stay connected to each other? What is missing? What’s already there? G: As of now, I found social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Twitter are most effective in connecting to disabled artists. I utilized Clubhouse as well. I’m still learning myself but I know that browsing social media sites has connected me to some very dope disabled creatives. I also learned that getting into local events as a vendor helps as well. So, establishing yourself on social media and participating in local events, in my opinion, can help disabled creatives to stay connected. M: Anything else you’d like to share? G: Do things for the greater good. Your purpose is bigger than yourself. Stay creative and never give up!

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By Lilian Aluri | September 20, 2021

As we close National Disability Voter Registration Week, we wanted to share a blog documenting a key moment for the disability vote this year. This blog shares highlights from a meeting that disability advocates had with Vice President Harris in July of this year to talk about gaps in voting access for voters with disabilities.

When I told my mom that I was going to meet with disability advocates after their meeting with the Vice President, she immediately thought I was going to meet with the Vice President myself. I had to temper her excitement slightly. But she was right to be excited, for the folks who actually got to meet Vice President Kamala Harris.

On Wednesday, July 14, seven disability advocates from across the country met with Vice President Kamala Harris for a roundtable discussion on access to voting at the White House. During this meeting, coordinated by Emily Voorde, Associate Director in the Office of Public Engagement at the White House, each advocate had a chance to share their personal experiences with the range of barriers that keep disabled voters from participating in democracy. 

The organizers present included many from the REV UP network whom I had spoken with several times but never met in person, as well as other advocates who have been working outside REV UP in their communities advancing the rights of disabled and Black communities. The advocates included:

• Olivia Babis  |  Senior Public Policy Analyst at Disability Rights Florida and Member of REV UP Florida
• Anthony Bonnelli  |  Freelance Journalist and Advocate for People with Disabilities
• Dessa Cosma  |  Executive Director at Detroit Disability Power and Partner of REV UP
• Howard Porter, Jr.  |  Advocate in Alabama
• Jalyn Radziminski  |  Communications Manager at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Founder and President of Count Us IN, and Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program Alumni
• Dr. Ricky Stott  |  President at The Scott Institute and Former Board Member of the NC Council of the Blind, Raleigh Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities, Raleigh Human Relations Commission and the Governor Morehead School Human Rights Committee
• Mathew Yanez  |  Legal Intern at United States Attorneys’​ Offices and Partner of REV UP

Following their meeting with the Vice President, all of the advocates, except Mr. Bonelli and Ms. Cosma, joined myself and several of my colleagues for lunch at AAPD’s office. Over lunch, the advocates shared key moments and reflections on the meeting. It seemed that each of the advocates felt a mixture of hope and despair, a mix of emotions many feel when advocating for a more equitable world. This meeting felt like a new milestone in the ways that our political leaders are acknowledging both the existence of the disability vote and the access barriers disabled voters face. At the same time, as many of the attendees expressed, this was one, short meeting focused on a topic that needs more discussion and concrete action.

As Mr. Porter stated while we munched on sandwiches, he has been fighting to make a difference for so long with the hope of making a better world for his kids, and yet in many ways we are in the same place. You can read some of Mr. Porter’s testimony on page three of the NC District Court opinion. Statewide attacks on voting rights threaten to reverse the gains in voter turnout we saw during the 2020 elections, and the efforts to make voting more accessible, like the For the People Act, have failed so far to pass Congress and even fail to include people with disabilities from the start. Other efforts, like the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, have yet to even be introduced. 

Despite the threats to our voting rights and access, disability advocates in each state continue to reach out to their communities, call on their elected leaders, keep their election officials accountable for holding accessible elections, and collaborate with one another to build the power of the disability vote. The work of the REV UP network and the many disability organizations advancing the disability vote has rarely felt more important. For me, and I hope for the advocates who spoke with Vice President Harris, this meeting felt like a sign of a shift that has been happening, and started well before I came to AAPD, towards meaningful recognition of the disability vote from the highest offices in the country.

Yes, it was just one meeting, and talk means little without actions. But this meeting between disability and voting advocates and the Vice President represents a significant moment for the disability vote nationally. And so yes, my mom was right to be excited.

Learn about National Disability Voter Registration Week that ends today at aapd.com/ndvrw and…

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Today, we are calling on our network to take action to protect access to the ballot. The U.S. Senate is considering a voting rights bill called the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Week. This bill would restore the power of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to protect our right to vote from restrictive laws that seem to limit voting access for people with disabilities, people of color, and disabled people of color.

Learn more about the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and take action below!

Check out all of the activities taking place this week at aapd.com/ndvrw and…

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By Rachita Singh | September 16, 2021

The disability vote describes a powerful voting bloc consisting of over 38 million eligible voters and spanning all races, ethnicities, localities, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, and ages. Historically, the disability vote has been lower than that of people without disabilities, with a gap of over 2 million votes in the most recent election. Despite the fact that 1 in 4 American adults has a disability, candidates rarely address the disability community and issues important to us, and campaign websites, town halls, and debates are frequently inaccessible and not inclusive. The disability vote is too often overlooked and forgotten.

In order to counter this, AAPD asked the following question: What are effective strategies organizations can implement in order to raise awareness and increase the disability vote? 

And to answer this question, I carried out a series of interviews with people from various disability rights and voting advocacy organizations, such as Crip The Vote, Voto Latino, Human Rights Campaign, and more. I also conducted case studies on groups that have shown success in encouraging voter turnout within their communities.

During the interviews, I talked with a diverse set of advocates about the many barriers to voting and ways to overcome them. The four barriers most common to people with disabilities, people of color, disabled people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, and other marginalized groups were:

1. Discrimination. Interviewees from disability rights/justice organizations discussed implicit and explicit ableism, while those from other voting rights groups described experiences of marginalization at the polls based on race or gender identity.  
   “Every marginalized group has experienced discrimination personally and that links them together…” – Leslie Adames, Voto Latino
   
2. Voter Suppression.  Voter suppression is used to influence the outcome of elections by discouraging or preventing certain groups of people from voting. Interviewees detailed tactics such as voter I.D. laws, eliminating early voting or same-day registration, and unnecessarily shutting down polling places.
   “Disability laws are being used to target minority leaders, putting bogus charges on them such as ineligibly helping someone else to vote. This has a chilling effect on many communities.” – Michelle Bishop, National Disability Rights Network
   
3. Voter Apathy. People are not going to the polls simply because they do not care or do not see the point. This is especially true within the disability community, where politicians continually overlook them and do not bring their issues to the forefront.
   “For voters who argue their vote doesn’t matter or that nothing can ever change, engage in simple questions: If your vote doesn’t matter, why do we have gerrymandering or voter suppression? [These issues] are carefully orchestrated to limit voting power. ” – Halley Rogers, When We All Vote
   
4. Lack of Information. There is an information barrier when it comes to voting and many of the interviewees believed that if people understood what they were voting for, and how to do it, then they would take more of an interest and engage
   “Civics courses are not as fruitful as they should be…there are people my age, around 27, who do not know the three branches of government and don’t understand what they do or what impact citizens can have.” – Deandrea Newsome, Local Progress

In the next few months, we will be posting blogs that dive deeper into these four key barriers, as well as the case studies I conducted on a few key communities. The interviews and case studies are ways to gain insight into how organizations like AAPD can better build the disability vote and accurately amplify the already amazing work advocates are doing. In order to learn more about what gaps exist in the field and why some strategies have a better impact than others, I conducted a comparative case study, examining three underrepresented groups: the Latinx/Hispanic community, the LGBTQIA+ population, and the youth of America. Given the multitudes of backgrounds and identities that exist within the United States, these case studies are just a drop in the ocean. But they can give us a better understanding of how factors such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and age influence the way communities work together to address issues.

Stay tuned for the other blogs in this series that will delve deeper into the interviews with advocates, who they were, and what was discussed, along with the specific findings from the case studies that describe how each group increased voter turnout. 

Check out all of the activities taking place this week at aapd.com/ndvrw and…

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