“Every Vote Matters:” Experiences of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the 2016 United States General Election
Main Article Content
Keywords
2016 general election, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, civic engagement
Abstract
This study explored the experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities voting in the 2016 United States general election. Although the majority of participants voted, they still faced a number of barriers which point to larger problems with the United States election process, and discrimination against people with disabilities.
References
Agran, M., & Hughes, C. (2013). “You can't vote—you're mentally incompetent”: Denying democracy to people with severe disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 38(1), 58-62. https://doi.org/10.2511/027494813807047006
Agran, M., MacLean, W., & Andren, K. A. K. (2015). " I never thought about it": Teaching people with intellectual disability to vote. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 50(4), 388-396.
Baynton, D. C. (2001). Disability and the justification of inequality in American history. In P. Longmore & L. Umansky (Eds.), The new disability history: American perspectives (pp. 33-57). New York: University Press.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, & National Disability Rights Network (2008). Vote – it’s your right: A guide to the voting rights of people with mental disabilities. Washington, D.C.: Authors.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, & National Disability Rights Network (2012). State laws affecting the voting rights of people with mental disabilities. Washington, D.C.: Authors.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, National Disability Rights Network, and Schulte, Roth and Zabel LLP (2016). Vote – it’s your right: A guide to the voting rights of people with mental disabilities. Washington, D.C. and New York: NY: Authors.
Beckman, L. (2007). Political equality and the disenfranchisement of people with intellectual impairments. Social Policy and Society, 6(01), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746406003307
Beckman, L. (2014). The accuracy of electoral regulations: The case of the right to vote by people with cognitive impairments. Social Policy and Society, 13(02), 221-233. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746413000407
Bell, D. M., McKay, C., & Phillips, K. J. (2001). Overcoming the barriers to voting experienced by people with learning disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29(4), 122-127. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1468-3156.2001.00127.x
Belt, R. (2016). Contemporary voting rights controversies through the lens of disability. Stanford Law Review.
Boyle, C. A., Boulet, S., Schieve, L. A., Cohen, R. A., Blumberg, S. J., Yeargin-Allsopp, M., . . . Kogan, M. D. (2011). Trends in the prevalence of developmental disabilities in US children, 1997–2008. Pediatrics, 127(6), 1034-1042. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-2989
Braddock, D., Hemp, R., Rizzolo, M. C., Tanis, E. S., Haffer, L., & Wu, J. (2015). The state of the states in intellectual and developmental disabilities: Emerging from the great recession. Washington, DC: The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Caldwell, J. (2011). Disability identity of leaders in the self-advocacy movement. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 49(5), 315-326.
Carlson, L. (2010). The faces of intellectual disability: Philosophical reflections. Bloomington: Indiana UP.
Cauterucci, C. (2017, January 16). How do you inspire women to run for office? Elect Trump. Slate. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/cover_story/2017/01/when_women_run_they_win_and_trump_s_election_is_inspiring_a_surge_of_new.html
Charlton, J. (1998). Nothing about us without us: Disability oppression and empowerment. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Facts and Figures about People with Disabilities in Chicago and the U.S. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/mopd/supp_info/guidelines_for_writingandreportingaboutpeoplewithdisabilities/facts_and_figuresaboutpeoplewithdisabilitiesinchicagoandtheus.html
Friedman, C. (2017). People with intellectual and disabilities’ reactions to Donald Trump winning the 2016 Presidential election. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Friedman, C. & Rizzolo, M. C. (in press). Correlates of voting participation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Social Work in Disability & Rehabilitation.
Friedman, C., & Spassiani, N. A. (2017). Getting out there: Community support services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Medicaid Home and Community Based Services waivers. Inclusion, 5(1), 33-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1352/2326-6988-5.1.33
Gajanan, M. (2016, December 8). More than 4,500 women have signed up to run for office since the election. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/4594114/she-should-run-women-election/
Goodley, D. (1997). Locating self-advocacy in models of disability: Understanding disability in the support of self-advocates with learning difficulties. Disability & Society, 12(3), 367-379.
Government Accountability Office. (2009). More polling places had no potential impediments than in 2000, but challenges remain (GAO-09-685). Washington, D.C.: General Accounting Office.
Go voter (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sabeusa.org/govoter/
Huang, J., Jacoby, S., Strickland, M., & Lai, K. K. R. (2016, November 2016). Election 2016: Exit polls. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/politics/election-exit-polls.html?_r=0
Keeley, H., Redley, M., Holland, A., & Clare, I. (2008). Participation in the 2005 general election by adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52(3), 175-181.
Perske, R. (1972). The Dignity of risk. In W. Wolfensberger, B. Nirje, S. Olshansky, R. Perske, & P. Roos (Eds.), The principle of normalization in human services (pp. 194-200). Toronto: National Institute on Mental Retardation.
Schriner, K., Ochs, L., & Shields, T. (2000). Democratic dilemmas: Notes on the ADA and voting rights of people with cognitive and emotional impairments. Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law, 21(1), 437-472.
Schur, L., & Adya, M. (2013). Sidelined or mainstreamed? Political participation and attitudes of people with disabilities in the United States. Social Science Quarterly, 94(3), 811-839. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6237.2012.00885.x
Schur, L., Adya, M., & Kruse, D. (2013). Disability, voter turnout, and voting difficulties in the 2012 elections. Report to US EAC and RAAV.
Trent, J. W. J. (1994). Inventing the feeble mind: A history of mental retardation in the United States. Berkley: University of California Press.
United Nations. (2011). Thematic study by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on participation in political and public life by persons with disabilities (A/HRC/19/36). United Nations: General Assembly Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/A-HRC-19-36_en.pdf.
Weiss, D. V. (1988). Work with local election officials to make polling places accessible. Journal of Rehabilitation, 54(2), 8.
Agran, M., MacLean, W., & Andren, K. A. K. (2015). " I never thought about it": Teaching people with intellectual disability to vote. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 50(4), 388-396.
Baynton, D. C. (2001). Disability and the justification of inequality in American history. In P. Longmore & L. Umansky (Eds.), The new disability history: American perspectives (pp. 33-57). New York: University Press.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, & National Disability Rights Network (2008). Vote – it’s your right: A guide to the voting rights of people with mental disabilities. Washington, D.C.: Authors.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, & National Disability Rights Network (2012). State laws affecting the voting rights of people with mental disabilities. Washington, D.C.: Authors.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, National Disability Rights Network, and Schulte, Roth and Zabel LLP (2016). Vote – it’s your right: A guide to the voting rights of people with mental disabilities. Washington, D.C. and New York: NY: Authors.
Beckman, L. (2007). Political equality and the disenfranchisement of people with intellectual impairments. Social Policy and Society, 6(01), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746406003307
Beckman, L. (2014). The accuracy of electoral regulations: The case of the right to vote by people with cognitive impairments. Social Policy and Society, 13(02), 221-233. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746413000407
Bell, D. M., McKay, C., & Phillips, K. J. (2001). Overcoming the barriers to voting experienced by people with learning disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29(4), 122-127. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1468-3156.2001.00127.x
Belt, R. (2016). Contemporary voting rights controversies through the lens of disability. Stanford Law Review.
Boyle, C. A., Boulet, S., Schieve, L. A., Cohen, R. A., Blumberg, S. J., Yeargin-Allsopp, M., . . . Kogan, M. D. (2011). Trends in the prevalence of developmental disabilities in US children, 1997–2008. Pediatrics, 127(6), 1034-1042. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-2989
Braddock, D., Hemp, R., Rizzolo, M. C., Tanis, E. S., Haffer, L., & Wu, J. (2015). The state of the states in intellectual and developmental disabilities: Emerging from the great recession. Washington, DC: The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Caldwell, J. (2011). Disability identity of leaders in the self-advocacy movement. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 49(5), 315-326.
Carlson, L. (2010). The faces of intellectual disability: Philosophical reflections. Bloomington: Indiana UP.
Cauterucci, C. (2017, January 16). How do you inspire women to run for office? Elect Trump. Slate. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/cover_story/2017/01/when_women_run_they_win_and_trump_s_election_is_inspiring_a_surge_of_new.html
Charlton, J. (1998). Nothing about us without us: Disability oppression and empowerment. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Facts and Figures about People with Disabilities in Chicago and the U.S. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/mopd/supp_info/guidelines_for_writingandreportingaboutpeoplewithdisabilities/facts_and_figuresaboutpeoplewithdisabilitiesinchicagoandtheus.html
Friedman, C. (2017). People with intellectual and disabilities’ reactions to Donald Trump winning the 2016 Presidential election. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Friedman, C. & Rizzolo, M. C. (in press). Correlates of voting participation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Social Work in Disability & Rehabilitation.
Friedman, C., & Spassiani, N. A. (2017). Getting out there: Community support services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Medicaid Home and Community Based Services waivers. Inclusion, 5(1), 33-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1352/2326-6988-5.1.33
Gajanan, M. (2016, December 8). More than 4,500 women have signed up to run for office since the election. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/4594114/she-should-run-women-election/
Goodley, D. (1997). Locating self-advocacy in models of disability: Understanding disability in the support of self-advocates with learning difficulties. Disability & Society, 12(3), 367-379.
Government Accountability Office. (2009). More polling places had no potential impediments than in 2000, but challenges remain (GAO-09-685). Washington, D.C.: General Accounting Office.
Go voter (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sabeusa.org/govoter/
Huang, J., Jacoby, S., Strickland, M., & Lai, K. K. R. (2016, November 2016). Election 2016: Exit polls. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/politics/election-exit-polls.html?_r=0
Keeley, H., Redley, M., Holland, A., & Clare, I. (2008). Participation in the 2005 general election by adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52(3), 175-181.
Perske, R. (1972). The Dignity of risk. In W. Wolfensberger, B. Nirje, S. Olshansky, R. Perske, & P. Roos (Eds.), The principle of normalization in human services (pp. 194-200). Toronto: National Institute on Mental Retardation.
Schriner, K., Ochs, L., & Shields, T. (2000). Democratic dilemmas: Notes on the ADA and voting rights of people with cognitive and emotional impairments. Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law, 21(1), 437-472.
Schur, L., & Adya, M. (2013). Sidelined or mainstreamed? Political participation and attitudes of people with disabilities in the United States. Social Science Quarterly, 94(3), 811-839. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6237.2012.00885.x
Schur, L., Adya, M., & Kruse, D. (2013). Disability, voter turnout, and voting difficulties in the 2012 elections. Report to US EAC and RAAV.
Trent, J. W. J. (1994). Inventing the feeble mind: A history of mental retardation in the United States. Berkley: University of California Press.
United Nations. (2011). Thematic study by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on participation in political and public life by persons with disabilities (A/HRC/19/36). United Nations: General Assembly Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/A-HRC-19-36_en.pdf.
Weiss, D. V. (1988). Work with local election officials to make polling places accessible. Journal of Rehabilitation, 54(2), 8.