April, 2004
I guess I became a political junkie way back in the "Stone Age" when I was a high school senior and a die hard Barry Goldwater supporter. Since then I'm proud to say I have not missed voting in a single election. I even used the absentee ballot during Vietnam.
Later on as an American History and Government teacher, I tried really hard to get my students to understand the importance of using the ballot to make one's voice heard. I even tried reverse psychology one time by telling them not to vote so my vote would have some more power. I was willing to try anything to get them to vote and improve on the percentage of voters that presently vote in elections. Did you know that only about 50% of the registered voters vote in a Presidential election? Unfortunately, back then I was under the assumption that all adults had the opportunity to register and vote. That just isn't the case.
If you are an adult with disabilities you may have found it so difficult to vote over the years that you may have given up trying to exercise that right. Special Education students may not have learned the importance of voting and now may not even know how to register. If that is true for a friend or family member then it is time to help do something about it.
Recent laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Voting Rights for All, have stressed the importance of making the voting process accessible to all. Improvements are under way right here in Santa Cruz County to improve the physical accessibility of every polling place. In the March primary election over 1/2 of the polling places were surveyed and the results given to the county director of elections. They are constantly searching for new accessible sites and ways to improve the process. Although it may seem like a small step, this is the first year that all polling places have had usable magnifiers available for the visually impaired. For every statewide election California provides tapes of ballot initiatives, so people that do not read can listen to the information and make an informed decision. Santa Cruz County has now made arrangements for similar tapes to be made for local ballot initiatives.
But no physical or programmatic improvement will help if people with disabilities do not register to vote. I was told recently of an incidence at the county office building where a young person with a developmental disability came in and said he wanted to register to vote. The workers in the elections office took the time to explain the forms and help him fill them out. He is now a registered voter. Can you imagine how empowered and independent he will feel at the next election when he votes for the candidates of his choosing? When he participates in one of the most important rights of an American citizen? This is a power that is available to all, no matter what your disability.
At a recent meeting of the Santa Cruz County Accessibility Advisory Committee I found out that the county elections office has an outreach program that will go into group homes and care facilities to register all those interested. All someone has to do is ask for their assistance.
So I am encouraging all who read this to think about your friends and relatives and encourage them to get registered. Offer to assist them with the process or call the registrars office and see about getting their help. Once we have increased the number of people with disabilities registered, then we can start concentrating on getting them to the polls to vote and make their voices heard.
Always remember - Disability is a random event that can occur in any life, at any moment.
- Michael Bradshaw, Central Coast Center for Independent Living