By John-Tyler, 2022 Voter Engagement Intern, and Kim Tenure, Associate Director of Disability Policy
As voting season 2022 comes to an end, we’re excited to share the wins of our voter engagement campaign and discuss our ongoing work to stay connected to our community. We’d also like to congratulate all the candidates and voters for their participation and for striving to improve their communities!
Historically, when it comes to voting, people with disabilities are often left out of the conversation, while others make decisions for them. Part of our engagement effort is to share resources, normalize voting, and empower people to get involved. Self-determination and individual choice are important for everyone. We must continue to help those with I/DD to gain autonomy and independence in decision-making and continue the conversation about voting.
While our voter engagement efforts continue to focus on education and empowerment, one of the most significant barriers to voting for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) is true social inclusion. People with disabilities should be a part of their communities, with increased access to employment, social opportunities, and political engagement. True inclusion and robust civic engagement are the north star that guides us.
Campaign Highlights
My Vote Matters Music Video
Developmental Pathways strives to promote access to information and empower all individuals regardless of their ability to vote in every election. This year, we partnered with our community, including Brewability, an inclusive brewery and pizzeria staffed primarily by people with disabilities, to host the watch party for our “My Vote Matters” music video. We created this video because voter turnout for people with disabilities has historically been lower than for other groups. We hope this video is an ongoing reminder of the importance of everyone’s vote.
2022 Voter Guide
Another highlight of our campaign was our Developmental Pathways Colorado Voter Guide which describes the statewide issues on the ballot. Ballot language can be confusing, so we work to make it accessible to all community members. Our annual nonpartisan guide is available in English and Spanish. We hope this guide helped you decide how to vote or was a starting point for further research. We are always happy to share other great resources and organizations in our community. Your vote is your choice, and we want to empower you to make it count!
Thank You & Looking Ahead
DP staff, including a voter engagement intern, and community partners move these efforts forward every year. For this season, we give a big thanks to our intern, John-Tyler! Along with contributing research and helping to create the Voter Guide, John-Tyler wrote a blog post about voting transportation options for the I/DD Community, as well as co-wrote this post. We look forward to continuing to grow our voter engagement internship program!
Our goal is to create an inclusive and nonpartisan campaign that empowers people of all abilities and marginalized identities to vote and become self-advocates for their decision-making. We look forward to improving and growing our efforts in the coming years.
If you or your organization want to get involved, please reach out to Kim Tenure, Associate Director of Disability Policy, at k.tenure@dpcolo.org.
Be sure to follow DP on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and continue checking our blog for all things DP and for more information about the upcoming 2023 Legislative session.
Thank you!