July 26 marked the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities.
The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services and participate in state and local government programs.
The law has far-reaching impacts, including making our elections more accessible to Americans with mental or physical disabilities. By requiring polling places to provide necessary public accommodations for voters with disabilities, the ADA plays a critical role in helping ensure that all eligible voters have access to the ballot box. Information about the accessible voting equipment available at all Bucks County polling places can be found under the Elections tab on the Bucks County Board of Elections website.
There are about 40 million eligible disabled voters in the U.S. Unfortunately, in the 2020 presidential election, one in nine (11%) voters with disabilities encountered difficulties in voting, which was almost twice the rate of voters without disabilities. But instead of addressing these barriers and making voting more accessible, many states are introducing legislation that makes it more burdensome for people with disabilities to vote.
The League of Women Voters of the U.S. and Leagues across the country, including LWV of Pennsylvania, are working tirelessly to fight anti-voter efforts, like restrictive voter ID measures which disproportionately affect people with disabilities — many of whom lack drivers licenses.
Our democracy is powered by a diversity of voices and the League of Women Voters is committed to ensuring that our nation’s elections are free, fair and accessible for all eligible voters.
One outcome of the disability rights movement and passage of the ADA was the establishment of Centers for Independent Living (CIL). CILs were created to be run by and for people with disabilities, and to offer support, advocacy and information on empowerment in the attainment of independence from a peer viewpoint.
There are 17 CILs in Pennsylvania. The Bucks County CIL, located in Bensalem, provides five core services: information and referral, independent living skills training, peer support, advocacy, and transition services.
These services are offered to anyone with any type of disability at any age.
In advance of the November 2023 municipal elections, the League of Women Voters of Bucks County is partnering with the Bucks County Center for Independent Living in two events offering students and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to experience the voting process, giving them the confidence to vote at the polls.
Participants will be able to experience in-person voting using the county’s voting equipment, under the direction of the Bucks County Board of Elections. These events, which are open to the public, will also include voter registration and educational materials on voting and voting rights for people with disabilities.
The events are scheduled for Aug. 28 at the Newtown campus of Bucks County Community College and Sept. 11 at the Lower Bucks campus. For more information about these events, contact the Bucks County Center for Independent Living.
Sandra Kerr is co-president of the League of Women Voters of Bucks County, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing voter education and services and advocating for issues. It envisions a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate.
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