If you are not a person with a disability, you probably know someone who is. Thirteen percent of
Americans have disabilities that affect their daily lives.1 Twenty-four percent of Americans over the age
of 65, and forty-six percent over the age of 75, have a disability.2 If you know someone disabled, are
disabled now, or plan to grow old in the future, you must vote in this election to help protect disabled
Americans. Tammy Duckworth, Senator from Illinois, thinks it is essential that you do.
Many people know that Sen. Duckworth is a person with a disability who uses a wheelchair and has
limited use of her right arm because, while serving a combat mission in Iraq, her Blackhawk helicopter
was struck from the sky by an RPG. Since serving in Congress, voting rights for everyone -- particularly
people with disabilities -- has become one of her main issues.3
1 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/24/8-facts-about-americans-with-disabilities/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20there%20are%20about%2042.5,care%20or%20independent%20living%20diffic
ulties.
2 Ibid.
“Voting is a fundamental pillar of our democracy, and our democracy is stronger when every voice is
heard,” Sen. Duckworth has said.4 “Your vote is your voice.”5 In this election year, you can protect
disability rights by using that voice.
Disability Rights was always a bipartisan issue. Republican President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA,
and Republican President George W. Bush signed another bill strengthening it. Sadly, the Trump
administration broke that traditional bipartisan support.
The Trump Justice Department withdrew technical advice encouraging the rights of disabled people to
work.6 It halted progress on regulations designed to ensure that the Internet is accessible to blind people
and others with disabilities. 7 The Trump administration worked energetically to repeal the Affordable
Care Act and cut funding for Medicaid. 8 It acted to “remove benefits that allow people with disabilities
to access health insurance and home health services. Instead of staying in their communities and
possibly working, many would be institutionalized.” 9
Trump also proposed drastic cuts in Social Security Disability Insurance, “the only source of income for
millions of Americans unable to work.” 10 There is only once voting option for anyone who cares about
disabled people’s ability to live independent, safe and moderately secure lives.
Even if you are not disabled, don’t know anyone disabled, and plan to be healthy forever, please vote in
this election. Vote to honor and protect disabled veterans, including Sen. Duckworth.
The nonpartisan League of Women Voters offers other concrete ways to help support voting rights,
here: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-rights-heroes-disability-community
3 https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/from-jobs-to-voting-booths-accessibility-should-be-the-
default-in-america_opinion
4 https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-durbin-wyden-28-senate-colleagues-
introduce-legislation-to-recognize-september-as-national-voting-rights-month
5 https://www.facebook.com/SenDuckworth/posts/your-vote-is-your-voice-with-the-freedom-to-vote-act-we-can-
help-stop-republican/2050869135087025/
6 https://archive.ada.gov/withdrawn_olmstead.html
7 https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1C022I/
8 https://www.cbpp.org/blog/presidents-budget-would-hurt-people-with-disabilities-1
9 https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1C022I/