Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW) is from September 9-13, 2024. It is a nonpartisan event hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) REV UP campaign. DVRW helps people with disabilities fight for their right to vote, celebrate community, and build power.
The disability community is an important part of the voting population. People with disabilities are part of every group and every political party. However, many people with disabilities face problems when trying to vote. DVRW was started by people with disabilities to raise awareness and take action. We invite everyone in the community, and all allies, to join us.
Why is Disability Voting Rights Week important?
People with disabilities make up a large part of the population. They belong to every political party and community. The votes of people with disabilities can make a big difference in making our democracy fairer and more accessible. But in the 2020 elections, only 17.7 million of the 38 million eligible voters with disabilities cast a vote. If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as non-disabled voters, about 2 million more people would have voted.
In the 2022 elections, more people with disabilities voted, but turnout was still lower compared to non-disabled voters. The main reason for this is the barriers that keep people with disabilities from voting. DVRW helps to lower those barriers so that more people with disabilities can vote in future elections, including local, state, tribal, and national elections.
Many people think voting is only important in presidential elections, but all elections matter. For example, local school board elections decide how much money schools get for things like art, music, and sports programs. State representatives can affect how programs like Medicaid and Medicare work. This is why Disability Voting Rights Week is recognized every year.
Disability Voting Rights Week Events
During DVRW, there are many events to help people learn about voting and disability rights:
- Voter registration and education events
- Candidate forums that talk about disability issues
- Online organizing
- Meetings with elected officials
- Creative actions to raise awareness
These events help people with disabilities learn about their rights and how to vote. Click here to view a page with some of the voter education events happening in Minnesota this week and in the weeks before the November election.
What is REV UP?
The REV UP campaign, started by AAPD in 2016, is a nonpartisan effort to increase voting in the disability community and improve election accessibility. REV UP stands for Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!
Although REV UP is a national movement, we believe change happens at the local level. We also believe in the power of grassroots organizing. REV UP has coalitions in twenty states and partners across the country. In Minnesota, The Arc Minnesota partners with AAPD for the REV UP MN coalition. Here is a list of all REVUP coalitions.
To learn more about REV UP in Minnesota and how to get involved, visit the REV UP MN Facebook page.