While the 2024 Election is behind us, the need for people with disabilities and their families to get in touch with elected officials about what people with disabilities need and want never ends. It is necessary to continuously be building relationships and educating the people who make the policies that impact our lives. This is due in part to the fact that elections can bring about a change in elected officials. Due to term limits or election shake ups, you might have an outspoken champion of disability rights serving as your representative one day and someone who knows nothing about the disability community or, worse, is dismissive or hostile, the next.
Regardless of where they stand, elected officials need to hear from you. Remember, serving constituents is their job. You have the right to contact your elected officials at each level of government to ask them to support or oppose pending legislation, express your concerns, and share your ideas. Sometimes the official you’re contacting might not be receptive to what you have to say. But don’t give up. You could end up changing their mind or at least help them to better understand.
You don’t need to be a policy wonk or have a degree in political science to talk to your elected officials. But it can help to do your homework. For example, if you are contacting state legislature members to ask for their support in a specific area, such as public transportation accessibility, it helps to know if there are any bills that have been introduced on the subject. If you find a bill that you want your officials to support, you can take a look at who sponsored and co-sponsored the bill. If your legislator is on that list, then you know that they support the bill, so you do not have to ask for their support. Instead, thank them for sponsoring the bill and tell them why it is important to you. They need to know that their constituents are paying attention to what they are doing.
It also helps to know who to contact at what level of government to get your concerns addressed. If your library has an inadequate entry for people who use wheelchairs, it would be more effective to contact your city councilperson rather than your governor. If your concern is about the education of students with learning disabilities in a specific school district, a good place to start would be that district’s school board. If your concerns are about a state-level education policy, you could contact your state school board, state reps, and governor.
Remember that elected officials are people—no one is an expert in every subject. Even the most well-meaning elected officials might not have the needs of the disability community on their radar. After all, the majority of these officials do not have disabilities themselves and they may not have someone close to them who does. Even if an official does have a disability, that doesn’t mean they are experts in all disabilities. An official who uses a wheelchair might not know what people who are deaf need or an official who has vision impairment might not understand what kinds of education accommodations are needed for a child with ADHD.
Making the world more accessible and inclusive benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities. For one, it allows people with disabilities to more fully participate in public life. This is important in terms of visibility, of course, but it also combats the isolation people with disabilities feel. Whether a person is disabled or not, when the people around us are living full, happy lives, it helps us to live full, happy lives, too. An accessible and inclusive society is one that sees value in each person and wants all people to thrive.
Disability has no political party. While it’s important to examine a party’s platform to understand what disability-related policies they might support or oppose, the needs of people with disabilities don’t change based on whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge of local, state, or federal government. Reach out and let your elected officials know who you are, what you care about, and what you want from them. Let them know you vote, you’re paying attention to what they do, and you will hold them accountable.