On September 12th, the Alliance Center for Independence and REV UP NJ celebrated Disability Voting Rights Week with our annual Make the Disability Vote Count event at the State House Annex in Trenton. The event kicked off with live entertainment and a visit from the Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice.
Over 100 disability advocates and allies, including members of several of NJ's Centers for Independent Living, voiced the importance and strength of the disability vote in this year's election.
ACI's own Nybil Ghanem spoke for many when he said: Getting out the disability vote means so much to me personally and professionally and as a person living with a disability, and advocating for my own rights and the rights of all people with disabilities across New Jersey as a force to be reckoned with!
Many of NJ's activists in the disability community spoke passionately about disability voting rights and the need to increase voter turnout in November. This included Scott Elliott, Executive Director of the Progressive Center for Independent Living, Colleen Roche, ACI Chair and Chair of the Statewide Independent Living Council, Mason Ameri, Professor at Rutgers University, Kenny Ugokwe, advocate, and Sandy Hanebrink, the Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice.
Several candidates (or their representatives) for US Senate for New Jersey also spoke about their campaign and the importance of our issues in this election. These were: Republican candidate for US Senate Curtis Bashaw, who was represented by NJ State Senator, Mike Testa (curtisbashawforsenate.com), Independent Candidate for US Senate, Patricia Mooneyham (votebetter2024.com) and Green Party Candidate, Christina Khalil (gpnj.org).
Unfortunately, Democratic Candidate for US Senate Andy Kim was not able to make it. However, ACI is planning an event with Congressman Kim, watch for future details.
We thank the candidates for participating in this event and encourage everyone to check out their websites!
The event also provided the opportunity for participants to learn about organizations to learn about statewide organizations that assist people with disabilities. Among these were: Disability Rights NJ, the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities, the NJ Division of Disability Services; Centers for Independent Living, and the League of Women Voters of NJ.
As part of the event, REV UP NJ hosted the Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice. The Caravan has been traveling across the country to connect Americans with disabilities to our rich history of activism and advocacy with current national, regional and local issues. For more information, go to thedisabilitycaravan.com
Special thanks to our sister CILs who helped make this event successful: Dawn, MOCEANS, Progressive Center for Independent Living (PCIL), Atlantic Center for Independent Living (ACIL), and Center for Independent Living, South Jersey.
Election Day is November 5th. Make sure you are registered! Go to the NJ Voter Information Portal for more information. REV UP and vote on November 5th!
Below is the text of a poignant speech given by Millie Gonzalez, Vice Chair of the Alliance Center for Independence and Chair of The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies.
The disability vote has the power to change the course of history.
We are a community of more than 70 million Americans with disabilities a number too large to ignore.
Yet, all too often, our needs, our voices, and our rights are pushed aside, overshadowed by what are considered to be more important priorities.
That must change, and that change starts right here, right now, with us, and with our vote.
Our community spans every demographic across race, gender, sexuality and class.
Disability justice is deeply interconnected with broader struggles for social justice. We must amplify the experiences of disabled individuals from historically marginalized groups, including women, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ communities. Our fight is their fight, and when we stand together, we are stronger.
Together, our voices can reshape this nation.
Every issue is a disability issue.
When we talk about health care, we’re talking about whether disabled people will have access to the supports we need to live independently and the life-sustaining treatments we need to survive.
Far too many of us face barriers to health care simply because doctor’s offices, treatment centers and hospitals are still not accessible - 34 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed.
We need to protect Medicaid, the lifeline for millions of us who rely on it for essential healthcare and services like personal care assistance.
We need to secure more funding for home and community-based services so that we are not forced into institutions but, instead, can live independently in our communities.
When we talk about housing, we’re talking about finding affordable, accessible places for us to live - and the freedom to choose to live in our communities. No one should have to choose between living in isolation or living in a place that doesn’t meet their basic needs. Isolation is not just painful; it’s deadly.
And then there’s economic security.
Far too many of us face barriers to employment, fair wages and the resources needed to balance the extra costs of living with a disability - not because we can’t do the job, but because of discriminatory practices and lack of accommodations. We must push for equal employment opportunities and dismantle the discriminatory structures that keep us out of the workforce. We must also eliminate the enforced poverty experienced by those on disability support, trapped by outdated net worth limits and restrictions on earnings that prevent us from saving for our future or being paid our worth.
And it doesn’t stop there.
From immigration policies that affect disabled immigrants’ access to services; to the environmental policies that impact our health; to education policies that determine whether students with disabilities have equal access to learning; to transportation that meets our needs for work, school and social life; every issue on the ballot is a disability issue.
So, so much is at stake. This year’s election has the potential to be a turning point for all of us.
But here’s the thing…our votes are not just about us.
We are voting for future generations.
We are voting so that younger folks don’t have to fight as hard as we have - and are - to survive and, instead, spend more time living.
We are voting so that the Americans with Disabilities Act is protected and enforced, fully and in accordance with its intended purpose - to ensure our rights are respected. We are voting so that disability rights are viewed as human rights, not something to be negotiated or compromised or discarded all together.
Our vote is a tool for justice.
It says we will not be forgotten, we are here, and we demand to be heard.
So today, let’s make a commitment. Let’s commit to showing up - not just on election day, but every day.
For ourselves, for one another, for those who fought for us - may those who have left us rest in power - and for those yet to come.
Let’s continue to advocate, educate and fight for a future where people with disabilities are seen, heard and included, equitably and fully.
Let’s commit to making the disability vote count…because it does…and our lives depend on it.
Thank you,
Millie Gonzalez
Funding provided by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and REV UP.
