2020 Election and Voting Information
We are down to less than 100 days before the 2020 election! That also means there are less than 70 days to register to vote (the deadline is October 5th).
To register to vote, check your registration status, or change your address, click here.
REMEMBER: Voting is not just about electing a candidate into political office. It is one of the main ways you can ensure continued funding and access to programs that provide transportation, housing, healthcare, personal living, and countless other services for people with disabilities to live independent and inclusive lives in the community.
That is why we ask you to make a pledge to vote! By making this pledge, you agree to do just two simple things:
1. Vote on November 3, 2020; and
2. Pass along important voting information to friends and family to
make sure they are registered and know how to vote.
By signing up you will receive important information between now and November on how to request a mail-in ballot, where to find your polling location, and assistance for people with disabilities to vote either in-person or remotely. Click this link, and copy and paste this message:
"I want to join the voting pledge and will help my family and friends register and vote on November 3rd!
Please then make sure to share voting information we pass along with your family, friends and co-workers.
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Ohio Legal and Policy Issues to Follow
Staying on the voting trail, the Ohio Senate on July 21st delayed a vote on House Bill 680, which would change certain election deadlines, as well as prohibit the Secretary of State’s office from pre-paying the postage to submit mail-in election ballots for the November 3rd general election. CILO maintains that the electoral process should be as accessible and inclusive as possible for anyone who wants to exercise their right to vote. The bill will be debated again at a panel hearing in August, although the specific date is not yet announced.
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Housing News
Owners and developers of 82 housing complexes across Ohio, Kentucky, and 11 other states settled a federal lawsuit claiming they violated of the Federal Housing Authority and Americans with Disabilities Act. The companies agreed to modify the housing to make it accessible to people with disabilities. They will also pay a monetary settlement to individuals with disabilities specifically harmed by the violations.
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COVID Information: Because Life and Health Matter
On July 23rd, Ohio passed a new Department of Health Order requiring a mask to be worn in public. Thankfully, the order also explicitly recognized that the mask requirement should not and will not be mandated for people with disabilities, particularly when their disability “contraindicates the wearing of a facial covering,” or if someone is communicating with a person with a disability, “where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.”
However, many businesses and people may not be well-versed in the waiver for people with disabilities. We recommend if you do have a disability that permits you to not wear a mask under this order, you print out and carry a copy of the order to politely show others in case of a dispute. The link to the order is here (the relevant information to carry with you is on pages 1 and 2).
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Community Education Corner
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n this final section, we provide some links to articles and information that can help you and your community better understand and appreciate the experiences of people with disabilities. If you have any suggestions for stories to share in future newsletters, please send me an email!
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First, this past July marked 30 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990. Columnist Andrew Pulrang explains five things he believes every person should know about people with disabilities and disability issues.
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Next, Dominick Evans, a disability advocate, shares his perspective on something he believes very few people without a disability realize: “life with a disability is seriously expensive.”
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Finally, Steve Silberman made the still-relevant case in a 2016 speech at the United Nations that our communities and society must move beyond shallow “awareness” of autism to appreciate people with autism in the “fullness and depth of their humanity.”
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Please reach out with any comments or questions.
Be sure to check your inbox next month!
