Contact: Lilian Aluri, laluri@aapd.com
WASHINGTON, DC – There are more than 38 million people with disabilities eligible to vote in the 2022 midterm elections. Disabled voters play a key role each election, making up about 1 out of every 6 eligible voters. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) REV UP Campaign has been working in collaboration with national and local partners throughout the year to get out the disability vote.
To prepare for the midterms, REV UP developed 51 Voting Guides for each state and the District of Columbia, the REV UP Voting Issues Guide, Accessibility Tips, and a Voting Outreach Toolkit. Since January of 2022, REV UP provided $200,000 to grassroots disability vote coalitions and organizations across 28 states. These groups used this funding to build the power of the disability vote through:
- Registering disabled voters in their local communities.
- Training disabled voters on their voting rights.
- Conducting accessibility audits to ensure voting is accessible.
- Hosting candidate forums on disability issues.
- Educating voters on how to make a voting plan.
- Mobilizing voters to participate in the 2022 midterm elections.
AAPD President and CEO Maria Town stated, “Every election and every vote matters. This election, many issues of vital importance to people with disabilities are on the ballot, from healthcare to community living, from abortion to voting rights themselves. In this, and in every election, disabled voters have the right to take part in democracy free from ableism, access barriers, intimidation, and discrimination. That’s why AAPD and the REV UP Campaign work year round to make sure the disability community has access to the ballot.”
To learn more about voting with a disability, visit aapd.com/wevote.
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AAPD is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As one of the leading national cross-disability civil rights organizations, AAPD advocates for the full recognition of rights for the over 61 million Americans with disabilities. To learn more about AAPD, visit www.aapd.com.
AAPD’s REV UP Campaign is a national nonpartisan campaign building the power of the disability vote. REV UP is made up of coalitions and partner organizations working to make sure disabled voters are registered and ready to vote and have access to the ballot. Learn more about REV UP at www.aapd.com/revup.