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Fall is on the horizon, but the policy topics we worked on this summer are just as important as ever. We’ve been hard at work on many important issues affecting our community.
Here’s some of what we’ve been up to!
- Updating our voting center. This is where you can find accessible information about voting, how to register to vote, and how to request a mail-in ballot. If you need to learn more about how to make your voice heard by voting, check it out!
- Fighting for our right to COVID-19 treatment as people with disabilities. Since the pandemic began, we’ve joined other disability rights groups to file complaints against several states whose COVID-19 plans would discriminate against people with disabilities. In August, our complaint regarding Utah’s health care rationing plan was resolved, setting a precedent that states must treat disabled people as equals when allocating lifesaving treatment.
- Holding call-in days on COVID-19 relief and police violence, two issues that are critical to people with disabilities right now. These call-in campaigns have ended, but our work on both issues continues — we’ll let you know when it’s time to start calling again!
We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to defend our rights. You have been, too! We know you have been busy participating in our call-ins; volunteering as proxy callers to help others participate; teaching and learning about the intersection of racism and ableism; and more. Here’s one more important thing you can do this month: fill out the census! The census closes on September 30th, meaning there is only one month left to make sure everyone in the community is counted. This is key to making sure that people with disabilities get access to the resources we need for the next ten years, so make sure to #GetCounted!
We would like to close this message with an acknowledgement of a recent incident of police violence in Kenosha, where police shot Jacob S. Blake seven times in the back, paralyzing him. After the shooting, police handcuffed Blake to his hospital bed, putting him at risk of deadly pressure sores. This is a horrific example of disability and racial discrimination. Thankfully, Jacob Blake is no longer handcuffed in the hospital, but he should never have had to face that additional risk to his health and safety. We join advocates across the country in demanding answers and accountability for this violence. For readers who are looking to learn more about police violence, anti-Black racism, and people with disabilities, we offer this plain-language resource.
In solidarity,
Zoe Gross
Director of Operations
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