One in 6 voters has a disability. Here's how Woods Services helps break barriers

Samantha McKenna recalls Election Day in 2016, when a small group of clients with cognitive disabilities stood in line at the polls waiting to vote. 

"One woman, speaking to her friend, said they shouldn't be allowed to vote," said McKenna, an occupational therapist with Beechwood NeuroRehab in Middletown, part of Woods Services. "There is such a stigma with disabilities and whether our clients should be able to vote. They are very well informed. They have a lot of opinions, and it's important they have a say."

While COVID-19 has presented unique challenges for many this election, a big segment of the electorate — one in six of eligible voters — face barriers due to disabilities that often deter them from casting their ballots. McKenna works mostly with clients who have acquired brain injuries, and is part of a team of therapists at Beechwood who have been preparing 77 clients, with mostly cognitive impairments, get ready to be part of the 2020 election.

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Because of acquired brain injuries, many clients have physical and cognitive disabilities, memory impairment or vocalization issues. 

"The fact that some are voting for the first time since their injury is amazing," she said. "We are helping to get their voices out. We have many strategies to keep them unbiased and to make voting accessible."

She said 66 of 77 residential clients are voting this election, with 49 participating through mail-in ballots and 17 heading to the polls Tuesday. This year's election, she said, has generated more interest in voting.

"Our clients have mostly been in their residences due to COVID and they are getting a lot of exposure to news and our educational programs," said McKenna, adding that many are eager to be involved.  

A Rutgers University report found that people with disabilities have been less likely than the general population to vote in past elections. The report, “Projecting the Number of Eligible Voters with Disabilities in the November 2016 Elections,” shows that 38.3 million people with disabilities are eligible to vote Tuesday.

 A projected 21.3 million eligible voters — the vast majority — will have mobility impairments, 13.1 million will have cognitive impairments, 11.6 million will have hearing impairments, and 7 million will have visual impairments. 

Voters have the right to request assistance at their polling place. Every polling place must have at least one accessible voting system. A person with disabilities can bring someone to the polls to help them with voting, or to help them drop off their mail-in ballots.

Therapists enable Woods Services’ clients get the supports they need to be part of the process, creating educational materials to inform voters and having occupational and speech therapists guide them through the process and use devices to get their voices heard. 

"Because many have memory impairments, we do a lot of education to provide consistent reinforcement of who is running," said McKenna, adding that therapists discuss which candidate aligns with what they want. "When it comes time to vote, we review information and confirm it's still what they want to do and and we help them fill out their ballot properly."  

Speech therapists created custom communication boards with the candidates’ pictures and election-themed folders to put on the clients’ augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. 

The Department of Justice has published guidance on how ADA applies to voting along with information on common problems with parking, walkways, entrances, and voting areas. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires election officials to allow a voter who has a disability to get help from a person of the voter’s choice, and prohibits "conditioning the right to vote on a citizen being able to read or write, attaining a particular level of education, or passing an interpretation test."