On August 20, over 100 self-advocates and staff participated in a voter demonstration and registration drive at the Brookville mansion to bring attention to the full and equal opportunity to vote.
The two-hour event was led by self-advocates representing the Executive Council comprising leaders from across AHRC’s programs; the Day Hab Council; Work Force Council & Employment Services; and Residential Councils and AHRC’s Compass team.
Supported by the Nassau County Board of Elections (BOE) and The League of Women Voters of East Nassau, the event offered a presentation on voting, registering to vote and a practical demonstration of how to use available ballot boxes. This event was developed to address the significant disadvantages people with disabilities face when it comes to exercising their right to vote. Among the many issues are accessibility, transportation and access to credible information.
“We have two machines, one for helping you read if you’re blind, and the other one to slip inside, when you filled out the ballot,” said Compass QA Advisor and Trainer Steven Barsh.
Attendees sat with their support staff and were able to register or simply watch the presentation from the BOE. After a brief overview of the parts of the ballot, the BOE officials passed around ballots for pizza, where voters had to vote on their choice of pizza toppings. Then, they lined up as they would on election day, to cast their ballot. After casting, voters were even gifted an “I voted” sticker they proudly displayed on their chest.
The experience was also enlightening for direct support staff, who learned what supports must be made available to all voters, along with how they can assist the person they are supporting at the ballot box. These can include accommodation if a voter needs to sit or having a companion at the voting booth.
“We encourage everybody to get out and vote. We also work with other disability groups including the State Advocates of New York (SANYS), and we support everybody to be assisted in voting,” said Dania Smith of The East Nassau League of Women Voters.
“We are supporters of diversity equity and inclusion and that includes populations who may need special assistance in terms of both registration and getting to the polls. I’m very pleased to be here today and see the terrific job that they’re doing making sure everybody gets the assistance they need in order to register to vote,” said Dana.
The overarching message of the initiative was to make people aware that whether a person has a disability, their right to vote is protected by law. Furthermore, if a person has a disability the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ensures people the right to vote and requires that all parts of voting—from registration to casting a ballot—is accessible and that people with disabilities have full and equal access to vote in all elections.
“It’s about empowering people to exercise their rights as citizens and use their voices to advocate. Empowerment and advocacy are a huge part of our Compass Management Plan,” said Compass and QI Administrator, Colleen Tapia.
AHRC Nassau is one of four providers in New York State designated a Compass agency by the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Compass is an initiative by the OPWDD to recognize agencies that consistently provide quality supports and services that meet or exceed regulatory requirements. Of the guiding principles in the Compass team’s Management Plan is to work together to achieve excellence by promoting opportunities and supporting the dreams of people who benefit form services. The Compass team’s initiative meets this goal by helping people work toward the person-centered outcomes of participating in community and realizing personal goals.
The voter demonstration and demonstration event broke barriers by ensuring the right to vote is accessible to everyone in the AHRC community.
For those looking for information for voting and registration, representatives from The East Nassau League of Women Voters suggest visiting www.vote411.org