The Roving Activist’s Blog

There is growing public support in Rochester for the rights of people with disabilities to have access to polling places. More and more letters of support are coming in to the editor of the Democrat and Chronicle. I applaud this, and hope those letters keep coming in!

There is another aspect to access at the polls, and that is access to the actual voting machines, themselves. Here is my perspective:

I’m glad that people are speaking out in favor of the right of people with disabilities to have access to the voting booth. Remember though, that we also need access to accessible voting machines, especially for those of us who are blind, or visually impaired, have limited use of our hands, or who cannot read. Touch screen machines are the answer to this, but then, one runs up against the spectre of security fears. More and more people want a voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT), which will involve the voter picking up a piece of paper in some cases, to verify their vote.

I don’t like the idea of VVPAT, because it comes with it’s own problems, not the least of which is the added cost of the paper and printer, as well as the problems that arise when the paper ballots, which many people want to be the ballot of record, gets lost, or misplaced. However, since VVPAT seems to be the wave of the future, it has to be accessible! I have said countless times to VVPAT proponents that if the voter must physically touch a piece of paper, or have assistance in ANY way, then, the system is inaccessible because it takes away a person’s ability (and right) to vote secretly and independently. I believe that security is very important, but I want security AND access, not one, or the other. We should not be so concerned with security that we disenfranchise entire sectors of the voting public. This should be the real vision of voting machine companies. All of the arguing, fearmongering, and other devisive tactics should stop. I have said often that some people are so concerned about potential voter fraud, and what could happen, yet, literally couldn’t care less about the voter fraud that is routinely perpetrated against disabled voters.

My thought is this: If VVPAT is the way it’s going to be, make it accessible! The technology exists. If we can send a man to the moon, and send a probe to the outer reaches of the solar system, surely, combining security and access in a voting machine should be a piece of cake. I also believe that the process for crafting standards for voting machines, as well as their certification must be streamlined. It shouldn’t take months or even years to create standards for a touchscreen machine with an accessible VVPAT, and it shouldn’t take months or years to get these machines certified. My experience in this work leads me to believe that the main obstacle to doing things the right way is not a lack of money, but pure politics. Somebody, or some group(s) is convincing some pretty powerful people that it would be to their benefit to disenfranchise entire groups of voters. Couple that with most of society’s outdated views of people with disabilities, and things look pretty bad.

My logic tells me that it is wrong to exclude any group of people from enjoying equal rights, and making worthy contributions to society, and that includes participating in the political process, and electing our public officials. Obviously, I am not the only one who feels this way, and those who would deny me and others our civil rights would do well to remember our freedoms are bound together. If my freedoms are in jeopardy, eventually, so are yours.

Rochester, NY–

Over the past several months, the Democrat and Chronicle has devoted
a great deal of print addressing the need for new voting machines.

From what I understand, there has also been a survey going around asking about the need for access in polling places. here is one man’s response, printed in the Democrat and Chronicle:

No change needed in voting booths

As a voter for more than 50 years, I have never experienced a problem
with our existing voting machines. My handicapped son has been voting
for 15 years and has experienced no problems. He utilizes the
absentee ballot. This requires no special arrangements for
transportation or trained personnel to accompany him to the voting
booth. All it requires is a 39-cent stamp.

FRANK KUHN
SCOTTSVILLE

Clearly, Mr. Kuhn feels that he knows whats best for our community.   As far as I am concerned, this is the danger of absentee ballots in relation to folks with disabilities. Parents of folks with disabilities are also getting in on the act, and must STOP! The decision to use absentee ballots should be up to the person with a disability, and no one else. Anyway, here is my response posted on the CDR forum:

Yeah, but what if you don’t want to vote absentee? What if you are able to get out and about in your community? I live only a few blocks from my polling place, and wouldn’t use an absentee ballot unless I were confined to my bed, or out of town. I want my community to see me, and know that I am a part of it, and that I vote.

I feel that some officials may be using the absentee ballot as a tool to convince people with disabilities to stay away from the polls. Actually, I have seen this happen on a number of occasions. They tell people with disabilities how convenient the absentee ballot is, and how they don’t have to go to the polls. Then they tell the community at large, or the media, or perhaps other officials that they have no access problems, or that there is no demand for access.

In my opinion, absentee ballots should be the last resort for people with disabilities, not the first. I can understand if a person is house-bound, or stuck away in some nursing home, or lives a long distance from their polling place, as is the case in some rural communities. Absentee ballots shouldn’t be used as a means for getting out of providing access to polling places.

According to some other posts that I’ve seen elsewhere, I am not alone in my sentiments. It’s time for officials and others who want to keep up hidden to wake up to reality–we are here, we’re not going away, and we VOTE!

Early this month, I got this notice from the Rochester Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, NY. Many of these folks are ADAPT members.

Here is part of the notice:

NYS Elected Officials HAVA Survey

Elected Officials Give Input to Ensure HAVA Compliance

New York State is being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice (US DOJ) for their lack of compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA). At least one voting machine per polling place must be fully accessible. US DOJ’s March 2005 State of Mississippi opinion letter requires full access to all polling places per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Use of federal funds also activates non-discrimination protections under Title V, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Recipients of this notice were asked to write NY state officials to encourage them to do the right thing. Here is my letter:

As a New York State government leader, it is time for you to accept your
responsibilities and comply with federal law! New York is the worst state
in the nation when it comes to the implementation of the Help America Vote
Act (HAVA). It is incumbent upon you to provide full access to voting
machines, the ballot, and polling places per HAVA, the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), and through use of federal funds, Title V Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

People with disabilities in New York, and in other states around our
country, should not be denied full access to their voting rights because
of the negative impact created by your indifference and/or inaction. New
York’s dubious position makes it the test case for the rest of America.
You must rise to the occasion and ACT like a leader in your state. Comply
with federal law so Americans with disabilities can have full access to
their fundamental right to vote “privately and independently” after more
than 200 years in the history of your state and our country.

I live in Washington, DC, and in 2004, I was able to vote secretly for the
first time on the touchscreen machine. It was a breeze, and I felt so
empowered! As an election judge and poll worker, I have seen firsthand
what people with disabilities endure when we don’t have access to private
and independent voting. I have seen people with disabilities coerced into
changing their vote by election judges and poll workers. Often, people
with disabilities were afforded no privacy, as workers would loudly repeat
the person’s choice of candidiates that they wanted to vote for. I was
aghast! People are so concerned with voter fraud that MAY happen with the
touchscreen machines, yet, totally disregard the voter fraud that IS being
perpetrated against people with disabilities. This scare-mongering is
being used to take away our right to secret and independent voting, and
that is totally un-American!

I implore you government leaders of the great state of New York: Don’t let
your state become a test case for discrimination against people with
disabilities. You have the power to do the right thing. Stand up, and
deliver!

Sincerely,

Anita Cameron

Now, on to Part 2…

On Saturday, my sister and her kids came through town from North Carolina on their way to Pennsylvania. I met them at Union Station, and we walked over to the Capitol, which is a few blocks away.

My niece, who is 16, began asking questions about life in the District, and among other things, I began talking about voting rights and representation, and how those of us in Washington, DC have no voting rights in Congress. She said that her teacher was telling her class about that, but it was clear from her statements that she really didn’t understand. She thought that people in the District couldn’t vote at all.

I explained to her that we can vote for all public offices, but the representative from the District can’t vote. We have one representative, but no senator, and that person cannot exercise a vote in Congress. Our representative can sit on a committee, or a subcommittee, but has no vote. She cannot vote on legislation that she is in favor of, or that might affect the District. Therefore, the citizens of the District have no representation, but we do pay taxes. To me, that is really unfair!

Now, my niece is a smart young lady, but she still didn’t get why this would seem unfair. I then explained that her representatives from North Carolina have the right to vote on any legislaton that they are for, or against, and any legislation that may affect North Carolina.

Since she still didn’t see why that would seem unfair, I explained it to her in terms of MiCASSA. My niece is well aware of MiCASSA, that it is a piece of legislation written by ADAPT, that is sitting in Congress as we speak. She knows of the work that ADAPT has done regarding the bill. She also knows that if passed, MiCASSA will give people with disabilities and seniors who are living in nursing homes the right to live in the community with the assistance they need, and that MiCASSA will save states millions of dollars. Of course, my niece is all for MiCASSA! “Okay”, I said. “When MiCASSA comes up for a vote in Congress and the Senate, your Reps, who are for MiCASSA, will be able to vote for it, but my Rep, who is also for MiCASSA, won’t be able to, because she has no vote”. Immediately, understanding crept on to her face. “That’s messed up, that’s not fair”, she said. I knew that she finally got it.

I then started telling her about how every law that we pass must be approved by Congress, and how other senators and congressfolks can write laws that affect us, though they don’t live here. However, she feels that since Washington, DC, is where everything “goes down”, that it’s okay for someone living in Texas to try to make decisions for us in the District. I asked how she would like it if someone from Colorado or California made laws for her state when they didn’t live there. She said that she wouldn’t like it, but she still felt that DC is different, so it was okay.

Oh well, I see that I’ll just have to keep educating her, but I suspect that unless she comes to live in the District, which is highly unlikely, she simply won’t see the unfairness of this. Still, I can try…

For the past couple of days, there have been huge protest here in Washington, DC in opposition to the new piece of legislation that has passed in the House making it a felony to be in this country illegally, and making it a felony to offer any sort of aid to undocumented folks.

As the daughter of an immigrant who became an American citizen, I must stand up and speak out on my support of anyone who wishes to come to the greatest nation in the world to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Criminalizing an Undocumented Person is just plain wrong, and will do nothing but send them underground. Although I would prefer that an immigrant would come into this country legally, I have no control over the circumstances that brings a person here, or how they come here.

I believe that Undocumented People who are already in the United States should have the opportunity to achieve citizenship. Right now, the process is long and arduous, as well as expensive. I believe that the process alone is daunting, and should be streamlined and made affordable. Thats why most people feel that they can’t go through the process. I believe that since most likely, undocumented people will have to go to some agency for assistance, they should be given information on how to achieve citizenship, and helped in the process. Perhaps, if a child is registered for school, steps could be taken to prepare the child and his or her family to become legal. This may present something of a problem because school officials, churches, hospitals, and social service agencies don’t really want to act as a police of sorts, but there should be a way that people who are undocumented can get help, and become citizens without being seen as criminals. I feel that if given the chance and assistance, most Undocumented Persons will be happy to take the road to citizenship.

To me, there is nothing so pitiful as to see a person who has been here for more than ten years, but who still cannot speak one word of English. There is nothing so exasperating as to be unable to communicate with someone with whom you are trying to conduct business. On the other hand, there can be nothing so terrifying as to have your sick child in the emergency room, and not be able to talk to the doctors and nurses to explain what is happening. It has got to be pretty scary and lonely to be locked in the house while your parents are out trying to get day labor, and you can’t go to school because you and your parents are here illegally. I can only imagine the humiliation of being jacked around on yor job, and not having any rights or recourse because you are undocumented.

Some people think that this immigration snafu relates only to Mexicans and other Hispanics. I don’t think so. I believe that it relates to all immigrants, but I feel that ALL immigrants should be given a equal path to citizenship, whether they are from Mexico, Africa, Central Asia, or Eastern Europe. There is something inherently rascist about an immigration policy that focuses negatively only on immigrants of color, or that will work miracles and wonders to process the citizenship of a Canadian figure skater so that she can participate with the U.S. team in the Olympics, but denies the application of an African mother to bring her adopted child from her war-torn country to be reunited with her here in the U.S.

Finally, I think that the idea of building a wall, or fence along the U.S.-Mexico border is just plain stupid! It won’t do any good–just look at the so-called security wall in Israel/Palestine. People are resourceful and inventive, and will quite easily get around such a barrier. It’s just another way that this country is wasting money, instead of using it to help those in need. Instead of spending all that money on a  barrier, spend the money to create programs to help undocumented folks become citizens! Besides, no one is talking about building a fence along the U.S.-Canada border, now, are they? Talk about subtle rascism! Finally, why should our country have a fence? Do we, the most open nation on the planet want to present this kind of image to the world? We are a nation of immigrants, and we ought to be proud of that. Look at all of the great and positive things that immigrants have done for the U.S.? Although I don’t agree with everything that my government postulates and comes up with, I LOVE my country, and I don’t know what my life would be like if a certain Mr. Cameron had not decided to come here to better his life.

All this month (April), ADAPT chapters around the country will be trying to get HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson to keep his promise to meet with us to discuss issues of accessible, affordable, integrated housing for people with disabilities. DRAC/Utah ADAPT has already begun theirs. I’ll keep posting on other chapters as I get the news.

Yesterday, I went to my monthly meeting of the Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee (E&D) for Metro, our transit company here in Washington, DC. Since August of 2004, I had been showing up at these meetings complaining about the sad state of the buses on my route. Most had nonworking lifts, and some of the buses did not even have lifts! I would show up with my log containing all the information, letting them know that I was an ADAPT member who was uncharacteristically trying to be nice, but that I was fast losing patience, and ADAPT was ready to act.

They had all kinds of Metro muckety-mucks wanting to meet with me to discuss what could be done because they knew of ADAPT, and didn’t want to endure a protest. Finally, I was asked to join the Committee, and I warned them to be VERY careful of what they asked for because they knew that I was a hellraiser, and I wasn’t about to be merely window dressing. They unanimously elected me onto the Committee, and after a while, made me chair of a sub-committee on lift buses. Well, guess what? After months of all kinds of excuses from the muckety-mucks as to why they couldn’t put any of the new ramp buses on my route, I received a call on Friday, which was confirmed yesterday during the meeting, that there will be 35 of the new ramp buses added to my route on April 30th. I told them I would hold them to their word.

When the new buses are out on my route, I will continue my campaign to make sure that the same thing happens in other neighborhoods. I have told the Committe, as well as the higher-ups, that if this is happeneing to me, it is happeneing to others. Metro wants to encourage people with disabilities who can, to use the fixed route system instead of the paratransit system, which is horribly overburdened, and worse than useless. In order to achieve this, Metro must make sure that ALL of it’s lift-equipped buses actually work, and that drivers are properly trained in their use, and that they are sanctioned if they use shennanigans and tomfoolery to deny people with disabilities a ride. So, we shall see, and I will continue to update any progress.