My Voice My Vote.

Voting is one of those things that sounds simple on paper. You register, you learn what is on the ballot, you make your choices, and you cast your vote. But when you have a disability, sometimes there are a whole lot of extra steps hiding between those sentences. That is one reason Disability Voter Rights Week matters to me. Voting is not just about politics. It is about having access to the same civic process as everyone else. It is about being able to understand what is on the ballot, get the information you need, use accessible voting options, ask questions about the process, and make your own decisions.

That last part matters to me a whole lot. I have spent most of my life making decisions for myself. Sometimes I need support. Sometimes I need information presented differently. Sometimes technology helps me communicate. None of that changes the fact that my choices are still mine. Voting should work the same way. I use AAC, so communication access is something I think about every day. When I go into a voting space, I am still the voter. My communication device does not make my opinions less important. Needing extra time does not make my vote count less. Asking for an accommodation does not mean somebody else gets to decide for me. I get one vote, just like everybody else.

Alt text: Graphic by Derek’s Doodles asking, “Are you vote ready?” A woman is centered between two ballot boxes. A checklist says to check your registration, know your polling place, and plan your vote. The bottom reads, “Be informed. Be prepared. Be heard. Get ready. Make your voice count!”

And yes, I have opinions. If you have been around Sassy Frass with Class for longer than five minutes, that probably did not come as shocking news. 😂 For me, being an informed voter means taking time to understand what I am looking at. Who is running. What offices they are running for. What questions or measures are on the ballot. What those choices actually mean. I do not want someone handing me an opinion and expecting me to borrow it. I want information that I can understand so I can make my own decision. That is what choice looks like.

Voting accessibility matters too. A polling place being technically open does not automatically mean the voting experience is accessible. Physical access matters. Accessible voting equipment matters. Communication access matters. Clear information matters. Having options for how to participate matters. People with disabilities should not have to become accessibility detectives just to take part in an election. Lord knows some of us already spend enough of our lives calling ahead, checking entrances, explaining accommodations, and figuring out whether something that claims to be accessible actually is. We do not need voting added to the scavenger hunt.

Voting also reminds me why self-advocacy matters so much. Knowing your rights matters. Knowing how the process works matters. Knowing what accommodations exist matters. Knowing that you are allowed to ask questions matters. I do not believe independence means doing everything completely alone. I believe independence means having the support and tools you need while still being respected as the person making the decision. That includes voting.

My vote is not my caregiver’s vote. It is not my family’s vote. It is not my friend’s vote. It is not somebody else’s opportunity to decide what they think is best for me. It is mine. That is why I care about conversations around voting rights and accessibility. Not because every disabled voter will think the same way. We absolutely will not. Put ten disabled people in a room, and I promise you will get more than ten opinions. 😂 And that is exactly the point.

Disability does not create one political opinion. We are individuals. We have different priorities, experiences, beliefs, and ideas about what our communities need. Accessible voting allows us to bring those individual voices into the process. So when I think about Disability Voter Rights Week, I think about something very simple. I want information I can understand. I want access to the voting process. I want the accommodations I need. And then I want the freedom to make my own choices.

Because whether I am making decisions about my healthcare, my career, my community, or my vote, the principle is still the same: my voice, my choice, my decision. And you already know Sassy Frass has never been short on voice. 😂