b'VVoottiinnggWWhhiilleeDDiissaabblleeddBy Kara SkorupaAsthetelevisionadswithhopefulpoliticiansbegintoblare,weareallremindedthat2020isanelectionyear.Votingisoneofthemostpreciousrightswehave,andyet,thereisasignicantamountofpeoplewithinthedisabledcommunitywhosevoiceswillnotbeheard.AccordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,26percentofadultsintheU.S.arelivingwithadisabilityofsomesort;thats voting.UnderTitleIIoftheADA,stateandroughly61milliondisabledindividualsofvoting local governments are required to ensureage.Despitethesheernumberofaffected thatthedisabledcitizenryhavefullandequalAmericans,peoplewithdisabilitiesvoteabout accesstovoting,butthehistoricallylowvoter6percentlessthanthosewithout.Whythe turnoutamongthedisabledpopulationbeliesdisparity?Obstacles.TheGovernment thesesupposedprotections.AccountabilityOcereviewedpollingplacesintheU.S.andfound60percentofthose Whilemostvotersconcentrateonchoosingreviewedhadatleastoneimpedimenttovoters acandidatetosupport,howtofilloutthewithdisabilities.Letthatsinkinforaminute actualballot,whathoursthepollingplaces60percentofpollingplaceswerenon- areopen,andthelike,disabledvotershavecompliantwithfederallaw. myriadadditionalworries.DisabledvotersoftenhavetransportationproblemsthatleaveThereisnotjustonefederallawwhich themunabletophysicallygettotheirpollingprotectstherighttovotefordisabledpeople; place. Many disabledvoters are unable totherearemany.AmongthemaretheVoting standintheall-too-commonlonglinesatRightsActof1965,theVotingAccessibilityfor pollingplaces.AlargeportionofdisabledtheElderlyandHandicappedActof1984,the votersreportdicultyphysicallyaccessingNationalVoterRegistrationActof1993,the pollingplacesbecauseofthelayoutoftheHelp America Vote Act of 2002, and the building.DisabledvotersaremorelikelytoAmericanswithDisabilitiesActof1990.Most notpossessalloftherequiredidenticationofusareatleastsomewhatfamiliarwiththe inordertovote.SomedisabledvotersareADA,whichprovidesallsortsofprotectionin unabletoreadand/orlloutaballotwithoutandoutsideofthevotingboothasitapplies assistance.Thelistofpotentialobstaclesistovoterregistration,siteselection,andearly daunting.29 msfocusmagazine.org'