Access for All: Making Voting Easier for Pennsylvanians with Disabilities

by Danielle Smith, Keystone State News Connection

Disability Voting Rights Week is an annual call to action that occurs during the second week of September. It focuses on advocacy, celebrating community, and building empowerment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of July 2024, more than 2.9 million adults in Pennsylvania are living with a disability.

Mallory Hudson, disability justice program director with the Keystone Progress Education Fund, said this week, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to take time to host voter registration and education events, organize candidate forums on disability issues, and engage with elected officials.

“We at Keystone Progress Education Fund are using this week to kick off our first of many voter registration drives at skilled nursing facilities and personal care homes across Allegheny County,” said Hudson. “More than 125,000 people live in all the skilled nursing facilities and personal care homes across Pennsylvania.”

Hudson added that if people with disabilities voted at the same rate as those without, 1.75 million more votes could have been cast in the 2020 General Election.

She added that this November, Pennsylvania’s 19 Electoral College votes make it influential in presidential races.

And the state’s voters will also elect members of congress, state senators and representatives, as well as other state-level officials.

Hudson said improving election accessibility for individuals with disabilities is a positive approach to shaping inclusive futures for Pennsylvanians.

She also explained that many barriers hinder people with disabilities from exercising their full voting rights.

Examples include inaccessible polling places, insufficient training for poll workers on accessible ballot-marking devices, misconceptions about the capacity of disabled voters, and more.

“Pennsylvania does not allow curbside voting at any polling places, whether they are Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible,” said Hudson. “If you arrive at your polling place on Election Day and you are still unable to get inside, you can go to your county election office to apply for an Emergency Alternative Ballot. But then this accessibility issue may become a transportation issue.”

Hudson explained that for a polling place to be considered ADA accessible, it must meet certain standards for parking, passenger drop-off areas, entrances, interior and exterior routes, ramps, lifts, and elevators to be considered accessible for people who use mobility aids and those who are blind or have low vision.

Hudson added that ADA standards are the bare minimum and they do not guarantee accessibility for people with disabilities.

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Source: bctv