Election Day is just around the corner. United Spinal Association is here to help you make your voting plan as wheelchair accessible as possible.
The 2024 general election has been called the most consequential election of our lifetimes by players across the political spectrum. It’s more important than ever that wheelchair users across America exercise our hard-won right to vote. We must never forget how much our collective voice has added consequence to every election. Our votes have helped to secure our rights as people with disabilities.
The Lay of the Land
Different localities have different offerings for voters with disabilities. Check out Accessible Voting’s state-by-state overview of what you are entitled to as a wheelchair user, which prominently includes links to your state’s unique online resources. Each state’s entry also contains links to the basics: find out where you must be, what you must bring, and the ins and outs of your local accessible voting systems.
Know Your Rights
Local variations aside, as people with disabilities, we are protected by important universal and federal rights that facilitate our ability to vote. Vote.gov’s Voting with a Disability page outlines key forms of assistance and accessibility features that are non-negotiable—they are protected by law.
For a deeper dive into the rights landscape around voting for people with disabilities, check out this feature from the Department of Justice. It explains these fundamental rights in greater depth, the history of the rulings that made them possible, and points you toward further reading. Knowledge is power!
It’s Not Too Late
Nearly half of all states allow voters to register on Election Day. There may still be time if you have not yet registered to vote. Consult this list of registration deadlines to verify your eligibility.
A Cornerstone of Our Fight for Inclusion
We at United Spinal Association often talk about amplifying our voices as wheelchair users in the national conversation on disability rights and on every issue that impacts our far-reaching and diverse community. Voting is part of the self-advocacy we foster in our members and a key to achieving self-determination.
Every Election Day, remember that people with disabilities are a power bloc. We matter. We are consequential. The rights and improvements we’ve achieved as a community have been hard-won: let’s not let our predecessors down.
Make a plan to vote today.