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YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PRESS! Youth Empowerment Press! |
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Summer 2008 |
You can download a copy of this newsletter at www.nyln.org
If you would like to receive future issues in hardcopy, please call |
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Table
of Contents: Letter
from the President Page 3 Voting
and People with Disabilities Page 4 What
Do the Candidates Think? Page 6 There
is No Excuse Page 8 Disability
Culture: An Interview Page 10 International Corner Page 11 Federal Funders: |
A Letter from the Executive Director By Every
day we advocate for equal opportunity: We want equal rights. We deserve equal access. We demand equal representation. In many instances, these expectations
require justification. However, when
it comes to voting, we find a natural balance. One person equals one vote, period.
We
so often work toward creating equality.
But if we want equality, we also have to recognize the responsibility
that comes with it. We live in an era
where we have the opportunity to not only live in freedom but to create
freedom as well. With such civil
liberty still in its youth— liberties disability-related and otherwise—we
have the power and the responsibility to sculpt the way disabilities will be
perceived for generations to come.
This opportunity, though easy it shall never be, is one to which we
are obligated. If we want rights, we
must willingly carry the weight of duty. So,
perhaps your duty will be simply casting your vote this November. Or maybe you will volunteer for a local
candidate. Or maybe you will campaign
for someone on the national ticket. No
matter what you do, recognize the fact that you have power. And for once your power is equal to that of
everyone else’s from the very beginning.
You don’t have to advocate for it.
You don’t have to battle. You
don’t have to strategize. You just
have to do it! In
our world, there are those who see an opportunity and there are those
who seize it. Which one are
you? Voting will be your chance to
have an opportunity to be powerful, to be influential, and to be equal. And isn’t this opportunity of equality the
overarching goal of our community? If
we ban together, the disability community has the power to create change
right now. We
have the ability to create solutions that society has never before seen in
existence. We have the ability to
condemn the unthinkable and make it our reality. Sometimes we must remind ourselves that
there is no strength where there is no struggle. And when it comes to voting, the struggles
of our predecessors have brought us to the opportunity of today. So,
when seeking empowerment, notice that the coming election is a time when you
can be strong, powerful, and influential all on your own. NYLN is working to serve as a support to
this opportunity through our voting teleconference, the focus of this
newsletter, the public education document, and the ongoing public
notices. But it all comes down to your
taking that first step, casting your vote, and being part of the
process! VOTE
POWER! YOUTH POWER! YOU POWER!
By Dear
NYLN Family, Greetings!
I hope you are staying cool in this hot summer heat. Last
time I wrote to you, I talked about our duty to speak out as young people in
the Disability Rights Movement. For me, this duty comes from wanting to build
community and see justice for everyone. Mandy
Next
month we will celebrate the 18th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). We are also taking a part in history with this year’s
election. Although there have been other people of color and women who have
run for president, this is the first time the potential is so real.
Regardless of how you feel about the elections or the candidates, doors are open
for us and we are in a new place. How
do we recognize the people who came before us and the people we owe to be
active? Vote. Be active in your local community. Take time to celebrate. Find
ways to remind yourself why you are here, doing what you do. Centralize
community, not self. Love yourself and each other. I
hope you have a great summer and a wonderful With
love and in community,
By
Brenda Hill Voting
is one of our most basic rights. Many
people have struggled to ensure that this right exists for all. Why is voting
so important? It gives us a voice about the future of the Yet,
many people do not take advantage of this right. Or they have things that get in the way of
getting to the polls. Voter
turnout rates in the U.S. are just over 50%.
People with disabilities vote at a much lower rate. In the past, only
about 33% of people with disabilities vote.
This number makes us about 20% less likely to vote than other
groups. Not voting makes politicians
less likely to pay attention to our needs. In the 2000 Presidential election, 41%of Americans
with disabilities voted. This was more
than previous elections. But this is
still low compared with other groups. In 2000 there would have been an additional 3.2
million votes if people with disabilities voted at the same rate as other
people of voting age. These votes could have changed the outcome of the 2000
election. On the bright side, more people with disabilities
are voting. But there is still a large difference between people with and without
disabilities. This has been called "The Political Participation
Gap." Some reasons for this gap include: ·
Building and transportation barriers ·
Lack of information ·
Lack of voter registration services ·
Inaccessible polling places ·
Lack of access to voting machines If
barriers were removed, Americans with disabilities could have a big impact on
political decisions. The roughly 40 million Americans with disabilities of
voting age have the potential to make change. If we were to vote on a regular
and united basis, no candidate could afford to ignore our needs. As a
group we are greatly affected by public policy. The services and accommodations that many
of us receive are all the result of such policy. Today there are still many issues that
require political action. But if we do
not act, these may never be resolved. Some
ways to increase voting among people with disabilities are: ·
Provide
equal access to polling places ·
Increase
voter registration services ·
Improve
voter education ·
Ensure
accessible voting machines ·
Encourage
service providers to promote voting ·
Increase
information about absentee ballots Many
organizations are working to help people with disabilities vote. The American Association of People with
Disabilities (AAPD) has put together a 2008 action center. This includes information on candidates,
disability issues, voter registration and other resources. To view go to: http://www.aapd-dc.org/News/election/peac2008.php The
National Organization on Disability (NOD) also offers information on making
polling places accessible. To view go
to: http://www.nod.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&PageID=173&C:\CFusionMX7\verity\Data\dummy.txt The
National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) offers information. To view go to: http://www.ncil.org/VOTE2008.html If
we all work towards fully participating in the political process, as a group
we may achieve meaningful changes.
Voting is power and we must make our voices heard. This is a way to meet our own needs. So please BE SURE TO VOTE!!!
What do the Candidates Think? By Rachel Kellem Over 54
million Americans have a disability.
This is about 1 in 6 people in the U.S. We are a large community. We
need to work together to improve services and opportunities for our
community. We need to raise our voices! We can do
this by voting. People with
disabilities do not always vote in elections. In 2000, research showed that
people with disabilities were 12% less likely to vote than nondisabled people.
We need to change this. And we can do
that by going to the polls! It is important that we are involved with politics, and it’s important that we know what is going on. Being an educated voter is important in making sure that positive changes occur. So now that you know… be sure to vote! Here are the
presidential candidate’s positions on disability issues based on their
websites. Barack Obama (Democratic nominee)
Obama’s Plan 2) End workplace
discrimination. John McCain (Republican nominee)
Due
to McCain’s work as a senator, veterans with serious combat-related
disabilities can collect retirement.
They can also receive disability compensation at the same time. This has never been done before. |
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There’s No Excuse for People with
Disabilities to Not Vote
By
The
number of people in the U.S. who do not vote is amazing. Everyone seems to have an excuse. Some people say that they don’t have enough
time. Other people say that they don’t
know where to go. There are even people
who say that it takes too much work to vote.
Not
too long ago there were many disabled persons who did not vote. These people did not have a choice. There were some people with disabilities who
tried to register to vote, but they were not allowed. Many disabled people had a hard time getting
to the voting stations because they were not accessible. Also, the voting systems (the different
machines and ballets that people use to vote) were not accessible. Some people with disabilities were able to
get to the voting station, but the people who worked there may not have allowed
them to vote.
During
the 2000 presidential elections, there were a number of problems with
·
voting
stations,
·
voting
machines, and
·
ballets.
Because
of these problems, laws were passed a few years later. On
·
register
to vote,
·
access
polling places, and
·
cast
votes.
On
Technology
plays a large role with accessible voting.
Voting systems are being created that do all kinds of different things
for different disabilities. There are
machines that can change the size of the words on the screen to make the words
larger. The color of the screen can also
be changed. Other machines will speak
the instructions and voting choices to the person. Some machines have controls with Braille or
raised buttons to show the person the different choices.
Each
state in the U.S. has been working to make voting accessible for disabled
people. Each state has an elections
website. Information on accessible
voting can be found on each state’s website.
The State of Oregon had a vendor fair.
At this fair, different companies brought their accessible voting
systems. People with disabilities tried
each system. After trying out the
different systems, the disabled people decided which systems they liked
best. Their ideas were given to the Oregon
Secretary of State which helped him decide which voting systems to
purchase. Some states are also creating
training videos. These videos teach people
with disabilities how to use the different accessible voting options.
For
many years voting stations were not accessible.
Voting systems were not accessible.
Disabled people were discriminated against when trying to vote or
register to vote. Since the Help America
Vote Act (
·
voting
stations are becoming accessible,
·
voting
systems are becoming accessible, and
·
people
with disabilities are being given the right to vote.
Even
with
Disability Culture!
An Interview About Voting
in the Deaf Community
By Chelsea Tobin