>>> THE ISSUE OF VOTING RIGHTS
IN AMERICA IS PROBABLY AMONG THE
MOST SERIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT
ISSUES THAT WE ARE FACING.
AND VOTING RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES IS ONE OF OUR
HIGHEST PRIORITIES IN THAT
CONTEXT.
LETS SEE THE PEOPLE IN TERMS OF
HOW PEOPLE SEE THEIR LIVES AND
HOW WILL THESE RESTRICTIONS
IMPACT THE PEOPLES RIGHT TO
HAVE THEIR VOICE REFLECTED
THROUGH THEIR VOTE.
THAT WAS VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA
HARRIS MEETING WITH ADVOCATES
FOR DISABLED AMERICANS, A
COMMUNITY DISPROPORTIONATELY
LIKELY TO DEPEND ON THE KINDS OF
VOTING METHODS LIKE MAIL-IN
BALLOTS THAT THE GOP LED ASSAULT
ON VOTING RIGHTS IS TRYING VERY
HARD TO GET RID OF.
FROM A "WASHINGTON POST" OPINION
COLUMN THIS WEEK, QUOTE,
PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM BEING
ABLE TO VOTE FROM HOME IS A
DIRECT ATTACK ON THE CIVIL
RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES.
WITH MORE THAN 38 MILLION PEOPLE
ELIGIBLE TO VOTE THIS IS A
FORMIDABLE BLOCK WITH THE POWER
TO INFLUENCE ELECTION OUTCOMES.
INTENTIONAL OR NOT THESE BILLS
THREATEN THE MOVEMENT THATS
BEEN BUILDING FOR DECADES AND
PUTS THE RIGHTS OF AMERICANS
WITH DISABILITIES ON THE LINE.
A MICHIGAN VOTER, A SOCIAL
JUSTICE AND DISABILITY ACTIVIST
AND THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF
DETROIT DISABILITY POWER WAS IN
THAT MEETING.
DONNA IS STILL WITH US.
I WONDER IF YOU COULD TELL US
WHAT YOU HEARD AND THEYLL ASK
YOU TO TELL US WHAT YOU SHARED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY.
IT WAS A HEAVY TOPIC BUT IT FELT
REALLY GOOD TO BE ABLE TO SHARE
OUR LIVED EXPERIENCES AS
DISABLED VOTERS.
WE WERE A DIVERSE GROUP COMING
IN WITH STORIES OF OUR OWN
EXPERIENCES, STORIES OF THOSE WE
KNOW AND LOVE BECAUSE OF
INACCESSIBILITY OF THE POLLS AS
WELL AS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THESE
NEW VOTING RESTRICTIONS.
WERE VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THIS
MEANS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO BE
IN A MEETING WHERE WE WERE ABLE
TO SHARE AND BE HEARD AND STRAT
GEEZ
EGIZE FOR BETTER OUTCOMES FELT
GOOD.
>> WHAT IMPACT AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES THE MOST?
WE TALKED ABOUT THE MAIL-IN
VOTING.
I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER MEASURES
THAT WOULD CRIMINALLY PENALIZE
ANYONE THAT AIDS ANYBODY.
CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE
PARTS OF THE LAW THAT CONCERN
YOU THE MOST.
>> SURE.
THERE ARE SO MANY LAWS OUT
THERE.
IT WONT BE A COMPREHENSIVE
LIST, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS
THE MORE OPTIONS, DISABILITY IS
SO INCREDIBLY DIVERSE.
I, MYSELF, AM A WHEELCHAIR USER.
MY NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT THAN MY
BLIND OR DEAF FRIENDS OR MY
FRIENDS WHO NEED ASSISTANCE
FILLING OUT A BALLOT.
SO ANYTHING THAT RESTRICTS
OPTIONS, WHETHER THATS LIMITING
DROP BOXES, DROP BOX HOURS,
LIMITING DRIVE-THROUGH VOTING,
ANYTHING THAT HELPS PEOPLE VOTE,
THEY ARE NOT JUST OPTIONS, THEY
ARE ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATIONS.
WE ARE ENTITLED TO
ACCOMMODATIONS IN VOTING.
WE HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT
TO VOTE INDEPENDENTLY AND
PRIVATELY.
THE WAYS WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT
INCLUDE SOME OF THESE VERY
THINGS THAT ARE NOW BEING TAKEN
AWAY.
WERE CONCERNED AND PREPARED TO
FIGHT THEM.
>> WHAT ASSURANCES, IF ANY, WERE
YOU GIVEN FROM THE VICE
PRESIDENT ABOUT THEIR OPTIMISM
OR COMMITMENT TO FEDERAL VOTING
RIGHTS LEGISLATION THAT WOULD
UNDO ALL OF THESE LAWS?
>> I FELT LIKE WE HAD AN ALLY IN
THE MEETING.
THE FACT WE WERE PULLED TOGETHER
AND LISTENED TO IS NOT SOMETHING
THAT ALWAYS HAPPENS FOR MEMBERS
OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AS YOU SAID EARLIER, THERES 38
MILLION VOTING AGE DISABLED
AMERICANS.
WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE VERY
POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL.
BUT, LIKE OTHER MARGINALIZED
GROUPS IF WERE NOT ABLE TO
ENGAGE IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PROCESS, IT MAKES IT VERY HARD
FOR US TO USE THOSE DEMOCRATIC
PROCESSES TO IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, WHICH IS DESPERATELY
OF LIFE, WHICH IS DESPERATELY
NEEDED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO TO BE IN A MEETING WE WERE
AUTHENTICALLY ENGAGED, ASKED
QUESTIONS, SHE WAS TAKING A LOT
OF NOTES, SHE WAS ACKNOWLEDGING
WHAT SHE DOESNT KNOW ABOUT OUR
LIMITED EXPERIENCE AND VOWING TO
TAKE WHAT WE SAY TO HEART AND TO
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, ALL
OF THAT WAS EXTREMELY
HEARTENING, AND I DO FEEL LIKE
WERE GOING TO BE MOVING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION WITH THIS
ADMINISTRATION.
>> DONNA, THIS DOES FEEL LIKE A
MORE INTENSE TIME, ENGAGING THE
STAKEHOLDERS, USING THE BULLY
PULPIT, A QUICKER PACE OF
MEETINGS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I DO AND I THINK IT WAS
IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION WITH THE DISABILITY
COMMUNITY THAT IS OFTEN NOT A
PART WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS
LIKE VOTING RIGHTS.
I KNOW THAT IN MY OWN
EXPERIENCE, IM LIMITED IN MY
MOBILITY BECAUSE OF MY MS, THAT
STANDING IN A LONG LINE LEANING
ON MY CANE AND WAITING TO VOTE
WOULD HAVE BEEN HORRIFIC DURING
COVID AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.
AND SO THE ABILITY TO FILL OUT A
MAIL-IN BALLOT AND SEND IT IN
MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS
OF ACCESSIBILITY TO THE POLLS.
THE RANGE OF DISABILITY SIES AND
THE 38 MILLION PEOPLE WHO LIVE
WITH DISABILITIES IS TREMENDOUS
AND IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS WHITE
HOUSE TO ENGAGE EACH ONE OF
THESE COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE
OUR VOTING LAWS DONT HINDER A
HUGE COMMUNITY IN THEIR ABILITY
TO PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY.