Disability Voting Rights Week highlights ongoing barriers for disabled voters, aiming for change from September 9 to 13.
Who:
Alderman Michael Browning, St. Louis City Board of Aldermen
Councilwoman Rita Heard Days, St. Louis County Council
Stephanie McDowell, Paraquad staff member who is blind and had difficulty voting August 6
Additional staff members and participants at Paraquad, independent living center serving primarily St. Louis City and County
What:
Disability Voting Rights Week Celebration (Paraquad is a REV UP partner; REV UP stands for “Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!”)
Where:
Jim Tuscher Auditorium, Paraquad, 5240 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110
When:
Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 10-10:30 a.m.
Background:
More than 1.5 million Missourians, nearly one in three of our state residents, live with a disability according to the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report. Disability can impact people of every age, race/ethnicity, political party, religion, income level, and zip code.
The right to vote is foundational to democracy. As the late Congressman John Lewis said in a 2019 CommonWealth interview, “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.” Lewis and others shed blood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 in the struggle to secure voting rights for Black Americans. When the 19th Amendment became law in 1920, only a little more than 100 years ago, many female Americans gained the right to vote, but others (Black women, Latinas, Native American Women, etc.) did not necessarily secure similar rights.
Although federal and state assurances of protection are in place, people with disabilities often experience barriers when seeking to vote. Even as recently as August 6, Paraquad employee Stephanie McDowell, who is blind, had to strongly advocate for herself in order to use an accessible voting machine at the Maryland Heights Government Center.
On Wednesday, August 11, Alderman Michael Browning and Councilwoman Rita Heard Days will celebrate Disability Voting Rights Week with Paraquad at a 10 a.m. press conference in Jim Tuscher Auditorium. McDowell will share her August 6 voting story, and our staff will recommit to standing up for our own voting rights and that of every person with a disability.
Paraquad will continue the celebration all week long. On Monday, August 9, Paraquad staff and Board members will be present in the office of Gov. Michael L. Parson as he signs a proclamation in honor of Disability Voting Rights Week. Voter registration is encouraged at the desk of Teona McGhaw-Ward, Organizing and Advocacy Specialist, throughout the week. The deadline to register to vote in the November 5 election in Missouri is October 9.
More Information:
What:
Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW) is a nonpartisan movement hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities and REV UP. DVRW is about advocacy, celebrating community, and building power.
Why:
The disability community makes up an important voting bloc. Disabled voters are a part of every community. Yet, systemic barriers prevent many people with disabilities from accessing their right to vote.
Who:
DVRW was created by grassroots disabled activists. DVRW is a cross-disability, cross-movement week of action. We invite all community members and allies to join us.
How:
DVRW includes: voter registration and education events, candidate forums on disability issues, digital organizing, engaging with elected officials, and creative actions. You can:
Host a Voter Registration or Education Event
Activate your Social Media
Organize a candidate town hall on disability.
Write an op-ed for your local newspaper.
Partner with other disability and voting rights organizations.
Ask your local government leaders to issue a proclamation for Disability Voting Rights Week.
Get Involved:
Click “Join the Movement” below to get Disability Voting Rights Week updates, free social media graphics and messaging in English and Spanish, access to a nationwide calendar of events, and more.
xxxxx
Jeanette Mott Oxford (“J-MO”), ze/zir/zirs, Public Policy & Advocacy Manager
5240 Oakland Avenue | St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: 314-289-4303 | Fax: 314-289-4201
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- #DisabilityRights #VotingAccessibility #Advocacy
