Accessibility In America

With all adversities that was overcome the right to vote remains one of the few things that makes us all equal. No matter your color, wealth, gender, and religion. We all get one vote; which is one of the many beauties of our democracy. With this right comes a great deal of responsibilities that many citizens

In today's world, one would assume that America is hitting all the marks, when in reality we are falling short in what may count the most. We are not meeting the basic needs of our largest minority group, mentally and physically disabled people. Lack of accessibility is a difficult hurdle for both physically and cognitively disabled people. Lawmakers have a duty to everyone in America, not just the able, and encouraging accessibility in the public is the first step in the right direction.

States have utilized their discretion over the time, place, and manner to alienate large segments of the voting population in the pass. From the Jim Crow era literacy tests and poll taxes, to modern-day voter ID laws, representatives have attempted to disenfranchise voters at every turn. Thought the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would have ideally rid America of these obstacles by this point, vestiges of the manipulation remain. The passage of years has brought a large degree of uniformity to election laws. For example, all states except Louisiana permit election by plurality in general elections. But several key distinctions prevail, and the desire for federalism here has created issues with suffrage. Voter ID laws are perhaps the most visible

There are a variety of practices that are put in place to limit certain peoples’ ability to be able to have their voice heard during the electoral process, such as Identification requirements to be able to cast your ballot. The court system has ruled that they are not an unconstitutional act, and even though they are believed the have a legitimate purpose by some people, those very laws and restrictions seem to be adversely affecting certain populations at a much higher rate than others.

In “Race and Beyond: Why Young, Minority, and Low-Income Citizens Don’t Vote,” Sam Fulwood claims, “Regardless of whether a favored candidate won or popular ballot initiative passed, our nation suffered because of the number of people who didn’t vote at all” (par. 2). I agree with Sam Fulwood and I believe it is so unfortunate that Americans don’t use this right. Voting is one of the most valuable possessions that Americans are given and yet they do not use. Many of the countries around the world do not grant voting rights to their citizens. These countries either have a dictatorship or kingdom which prevents citizens from voting. People need to understand the sufferings of those people who struggled for this right. When the United States

Living in a nation based on democracy, where a citizen’s voice is the equivalent of casting a vote in political elections, the majority of American citizens eligible to vote do not participate in elections. The rationale behind voter non-participation varies among individuals and demographic groups; however, they all share a connection regarding their feelings towards their treatment by the country's political system. Minority voters such as blacks and hispanics are a demographic group highly faced with disenfranchisement in regards to political elections due to oppression. North Carolina’s Voter ID laws are a prime example of how minority voters are being shut out.

Under the guise of tackling voter fraud, 14 states adopted measures to restrict voting ahead of the 2016 election. These measures, including strict voter ID requirements and reductions in early voting opportunities and polling places, created barriers for tens of thousands of low-income citizens and citizens of color. Alarmingly, five of the 14 states

Young DeafBlind Adults in Action was a one-week summer course that was occupied by six DeafBlind young adults. These six lucky individuals had opportunities to meet with legislators in Washington, D.C., as well as the current U.S president, Barack Obama. The participants learned about policy issues, communication / technology concerns, and leadership skills; then they applied this knowledge in the legislative field. Through the advocacy process, each young adult who participated learned how to identify and utilize their personal strengths as advocates and experienced the importance that teamwork plays in successful advocacy. Since this class focused on civic engagement and advocacy, it provided a focus for a participatory action research

Since the United States of America established itself as its own self-governing country, one of the things that caused it to be salient and stand out from other countries is its relentless insistence on functioning as a democracy. Wars and protests have occurred so that every type of people, whether it was women or African Americans, may be granted the right to vote. Having a say in the American government is an honor and a privilege bestowed upon American citizens when they reach the age of eighteen. However, in recent years, statistics have shown that voter turnout and participation in recent elections has been rapidly and steadily declining, causing the United States to have the lowest voter participation in the world (“Is the System

Many Americans along with disabled citizens believe that President Trump’s blatant insensitivity towards disabled individuals during his electoral campaign provides a furtive agenda alongside palpable insight into where he truly stands in regards to the rights and capabilities of disabled citizens. Moreover, these budding concerns stem from President Trump’s prospective reform of Medicaid and impending plans to repeal Obama care together

As stated in the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state because race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” As the act of voting itself is the guardian of all other rights, the right to vote is by far the most important. Our nation is arguably facing levels of dissent not seen for generations, and the topic of voter rights and voter suppression is once again at the forefront. Voter suppression occurs in many ways, and takes on many names, but affects the low-income and racial minorities in significant ways. This paper will bring the forms of suppression and the targeted groups to light.

The citizens of the United States of America populate a very privileged nation relative to the majority of developing countries. Americans are able to exercise a multitude of rights. Despite having freedom to the most basic of rights, Americans do not take full advantage of their liberties. One such instance relates to American’s right to vote in elections. Presently, U.S citizens of differing heritage, skin color, gender, and social standing has the liberty to vote for the authoritative figures who will run their government at the local, state, and nationwide scale, yet very few U.S citizens are present at voting polls during off year elections. The cause of the nationwide absence at the polls is reflective of U.S. citizens’ distrust of the political system and their state of ignorance concerning current national issues.

Does it mean being able to access services at the click of the mouse? Or the safety you feel when you enter your house? We live in a world where we are sheltered from disease. Death by Maternal Neonatal Tetanus? In Canada? A rare find indeed.

Historically in America, voting has been a relatively discriminatory practice. It has limited and deprived many individuals of many diverse races, ethnicities, and walks of life from casting their votes to select the individual who they feel is most educated, and skilled to represent their interests. Not only has this been proven to be wrong by discriminating minority groups in voting, it also has proved to be a process, which minimizes the largest growing demographics in the country. Furthermore, with millennials growing to become more politically active, minority groups are becoming more politically involved than ever. Taking this into account an important question that is raised by the author William Eskridge in his book “Legislation and Statutory Interpretation” is “Would minorities be better off with more representatives who had to pay attention to their interests because they are a powerful and organized constituency, rather than with a few representatives of minority districts who specialize in protecting only their interests?” (Eskridge,Frickley,& Garrett, 2006, pp.55).

This paper argues the disabled communities do not enjoy full voting rights to participate in the political system. There are several political factors that explain why the concerns of the disabled communities have largely been ignored or not adequately addressed. The Committee of Seventy is an organization with strong political influence over the elections held every year in the City of Philadelphia, PA. The organizational enjoys a great reputation among local politicians, CEOs, and other socially-affluent residents of the city. It is important to acknowledge the disabled communities have limited voting rights. People with disabilities face stigma and discrimination that may discourage some