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People with Disabilities are Voters

There has been steady progress and many positive changes to the election process in Ontario to help ensure that people with disabilities are able to vote. Yet, key barriers remain that prevent the full and equal political participation of all people in Ontario before they go to the polls.

At present, a lack of opportunity exists for people with disabilities to interact with the candidates and organizers during the election process. At the same time, accessibility barriers are preventing candidates from benefiting from the views and involvement of voters with disabilities. Political candidates have the opportunity to engage this portion of the voting public by taking steps to ensure that their campaign activities are accessible to everyone.

Making your campaign, party or constituency office accessible will help with this, but you also need to look at all aspects of how you deliver your campaign and anticipate how to adjust these activities to meet the needs of voters with disabilities.

People with disabilities deserve the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in all election activities. In the coming years, age related disabilities will increase as the generation of baby boomers ages, creating an even greater need for inclusion and accessibility in the electoral process.

Providing an accessible environment need not be complicated or expensive. In fact many changes cost nothing at all or have a minimal impact on the bottom line — but they can have a huge impact on voter engagement.

You can make positive changes to your campaign activities by actively involving voters with disabilities. Value their input, as they are the ‘experts.’ Taking the time to listen to their experiences will often lead you to solutions that, once identified, are easily incorporated into your everyday activities and will lead to long lasting improvements in accessibility and excellent customer service.