Disability Voting Rights Week is a national, nonpartisan initiative this September to build the power and presence of the disability vote. Disability Voting Rights Week is coordinated by the American Association of People with Disabilities’ (AAPD) REV UP Voting Campaign.
This Disability Voting Rights Week, Sunrise has a message for voters with disabilities: Your vote is your right, and your vote is powerful. There are over 38 million people with disabilities who are eligible to vote. However, discrimination, inaccessible voting processes, and exclusion from democracy lead to a turnout gap between voters with and without disabilities. As a result, people with disabilities are consistently left out of the political process and ignored in policies that directly impact their lives. In fact, less than 1 in 3 voters with a disability believe that leaders in Washington, D.C., care about people with disabilities.
This Disability Voting Rights Week, we are rallying the disability vote, ensuring our communities are registered and ready to vote and have access to the ballot. When people with disabilities unite and advocate for civil and disability rights, they have been able to achieve meaningful change. In 2022, millions of people with disabilities will cast their ballots in elections across the nation that will impact access to health care, financial security, the ability to live in the community, and so much more.
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The REV UP Campaign, launched by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) in 2016, is a nonpartisan initiative that coordinates with national, state, and local disability organizations to increase the political power of the disability community while also engaging candidates and the media on disability issues. REV UP stands for Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power! Learn more at aapd.com/REVUP. For more information on the REV UP Campaign, Disability Voting Rights Week, and other civic engagement and state-specific resources, visit aapd.com/dvrw.
