In the Presidential election of 2020, a record number of people with disabilities voted at the polls. Unfortunately, a record of another kind was set in 2021, when 33 laws were passed that made it more difficult for Americans to vote. This resulted in a significant decrease in voting participation by people with disabilities in [click to continue...]
Voting is an essential right of American citizenship that people with disabilities are too often prevented from exercising. Current voting barriers include transportation to polling sites, inaccessible buildings, cumbersome registration processes, lack of election worker training on the accessibility features of voting machines, and lack of voter privacy. RespectAbility Senior Policy Advisor Matan Koch, who [click to continue...]
“Nothing about us without us.” This iconic disability phrase takes on new significance in terms of health research, as the NIH recently designated people with disabilities as a population with health disparities. Although this may sound like a disappointing development, this designation enables healthcare researchers to address the difficulties many people with disabilities face in [click to continue...]
What if you had to choose between paying your rent and marrying your significant other? People with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are faced with this decision every day. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act raises asset limits for SSI recipients and couples. This proposal, while simple, could have a significant impact on [click to continue...]
Kaitlin Martinez-Hall analyzed coverage of people with disabilities in the United States for her thesis. She is involved in workforce development as a job coach with ICAN California Abilities Network, supporting clients in the Orange and Los Angeles County areas.
