Dear John,

Even before the pandemic, we had our work cut out for us in 2020. A historic election takes historic effort, and we put our all into making sure that all disabled people could access the vote. Everyone deserves to have a say in the policies that affect their lives, and one of the ways we can do this is by participating in elections! However, facing barriers both new — like keeping safe from COVID-19 — and old — like inaccessible polling places and materials — we wanted to arm our disability community with as many tools as possible. We have big plans for continuing this work in 2021 -- will you chip in to help us make civic engagement accessible to everyone?

Accessible information was key to helping our community vote this year. We released a new plain language toolkit on voting by mail in response to the unique challenges the 2020 election presented. We partnered with our friends at the National Disability Rights Network to make plain-language, picture-assisted videos about election day and voting with a disability. And we used a blog series about voting to share information about why voting matters, how to make a vote plan, and voting under guardianship.

Our work isn’t over just because the election is — now we must hold our elected officials accountable for their promises. A lot of our focus is on helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities advocate for policies that matter to them, including proxy calling, our civic engagement toolkits, scripts and action alerts, and more. We’re only ramping our fight to get everyone a seat at the policy table! Here’s how you can support us in 2021 and beyond: 

• Donate to us directly here
• Join our membership program. For as little as $3 a month, you get exclusive perks for your support! Plus you’re part of a growing network of self-advocates and allies who get behind-the-scenes looks at what we’re up to. You can also give the gift of a membership by making a donation in someone’s name today.
• Set up a Facebook fundraiser to support us. It’s easy, free, and goes directly to us!
• Spread the word! The more people who hear about us, the more people our work can reach.
• Share our toolkits so everyone has the info they need to advocate for themselves and others.
• Take action through our Action Center! Equip yourself with everything you need to make your voice heard.

We know that this year has taken a toll on a lot of us financially, so we understand if you aren’t able to give! There are still lots of other ways you can help, like volunteering, sharing our resources, or getting the word out about our work on social media. When you pledge your support, you’re empowering all people with disabilities to harness our power and be a part of the ongoing fight for our rights. Thank you for making our work possible!

In solidarity,

Zoe Gross

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035

 

If you think you received this email in error, 

unsubscribe