Disabled should vote

To the editor: The Northeast Pennsylvania Center for Independent Living strongly encourages people with disabilities to vote on Apr. 22. Although the upcoming election will be pivotal for our nation, there are disability related issues and programs that need to be addressed by presidential and congressional candidates. Potential officeholders must realize that we desire real change consistent with our right to remain active in our communities. People with disabilities, families, and advocates must vote for candidates who will support an individual’s right to live in their own home by expanding home and community-based programs, as opposed to being unnecessarily placed in a nursing home or other institution. We must vote for candidates who will pledge to restore our rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, whose intent has been gradually eroded by the U.S. Supreme Court. On a state level, we must vote for candidates who endorse a Rural Shared-ride system, which provides transportation to employment, medical appointments, and other destinations. Readers should be reminded that the deadline to register to vote is March 24. Absentee ballots must be requested by April 15. There are nearly two million people with disabilities in Pennsylvania who are at least eighteen years of age. This figure is more than twenty percent of the statewide voting-aged population. We represent a vital segment of our legislators’ constituencies. Justin Dart was a renowned leader in the disability rights movement who was called the Father of the Americans with Disabilities Act. One of his most famous statements captures the reason for a participatory democracy: “Vote as if your life depends on it. Because it does.” Keith Williams NEPA Center for Independent Living Scranton