Frontline Initiative: Advocacy and Voting
The Importance of Voting When You Have a Disability
Derek Vladescu
It is important for all legal voters to vote. Throughout our country’s history, many people have sacrificed their lives to secure our right to vote. We are blessed to have this right. We must continue to spread the word and fight for a more engaged public in order for our system of government to work. The first step is educating yourself and the population you support on issues and people one can vote for, and then get out to vote.
However, I urge you – as the direct support professionals supporting people with disabilities – to do the best you can, as things in life are rarely perfect.
Some of you may have not voted at all, or only a few times, and may be overwhelmed with completing this task. However, I urge you – as the direct support professionals supporting people with disabilities – to do the best you can, as things in life are rarely perfect. Use the internet (e.g., do a Google search) to research who is running for which offices in your area and when. Know the dates, times, and locations where you are allowed to vote. Make an effort to incorporate voting into the lives of those you support. There are opportunities to vote every year, not just every four years for the president.
Depending on the physical and/or intellectual capabilities of those you support, you may have to do some of the leg work. To find out what each candidate stands for, you can use the internet, word of mouth, or consult the local newspaper or other available publications. Incorporate this new information into conversations with those you support. Some possible questions could be:
Do they believe the police are doing a good job, or should the police’s powers be restricted?
Should our country take in and support immigrants, or should more restrictions be placed at our borders?
You can talk with the people you support as they learn what issues each candidate supports. Try to be objective and use what you know to help them take a balanced view on issues where the candidates take a stance. Again, no one expects you to do a perfect job or to cover all of the bases. Try to give others a chance to make an educated decision on whom they wish to vote for, and which issues they wish to support.
I should emphasize – and perhaps this goes without saying – that you need to respect the wishes, or lack thereof, of others when it comes to voting, just as with other areas of your lives together. Also, I would like to reiterate that most all of us (if not all of us) with disabilities depend on others more than most folks for maintaining a safe, accessible, and dignified quality of life. That is one reason why it is so important for those with disabilities to get out and vote. Voting is so important for people with disabilities to continue receiving the supports and services they have.
I should emphasize – and perhaps this goes without saying – that you need to respect the wishes, or lack thereof, of others when it comes to voting, just as with other areas of your lives together.
Further, many of us want more than what already exists in society. For example, I have known others also served by New York State’s Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) who have stood up for our right to a safe and dignified quality of life, and the right to live in the least-restrictive setting. Their efforts opened the eyes of various politicians who then pushed for closing developmental centers and creating opportunities for further community integration for people with disabilities. I am happy to report that over the past few years, it seems that more folks with disabilities are enjoying community venues – such as public libraries and restaurants – than ever before. I encourage you, their DSP, to help the people you support to integrate even further by gently educating and supporting those with disabilities to vote whenever possible.