Disability Civic Engagement Guide
Use this guide when creating events and communications that are inclusive and accessible to People with Disabilities.
While people with disabilities are one of the largest minority groups in the United States, they are rarely viewed as a marginalized community. In fact, many initiatives to improve diversity and equity often do not include them. Furthermore, disability occurs across all demographics, including race, ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, education level, sexual orientation, Etc. When civic engagement events are not accessible for everyone, this can lead to more exclusion.
When participating in civic engagement activities, people with disabilities are empowered to make change and demonstrate their right to freedom of speech. During the marches and rallies held across the country in 2020, we received calls from people with disabilities who wanted to participate and be heard. We intervened, reaching out to the event organizers who needed resources to make their events accessible. We provided guidance and listened to their desire to include everyone.
As a result of the barriers faced by the disability community, we developed this guide. It will provide resources and assistance for event organizers with making civic engagement activities fully accessible. This is a resource that we hope will be valuable to event organizers and members of the disability community.