DRP Announces Voting Rights Email and Hotline for Voters with Disabilities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Contact: Peri Jude Radecic, CEO
(717) 236-8110, Ext. 302

Disability Rights Pennsylvania Announces Voting Rights Email and Hotline for Voters with Disabilities

717-839-5227 or email: electionday@disabilityrightspa.org
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on November 8

Harrisburg, PA – Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP), a leader in disability rights legal and advocacy services for nearly forty (40) years, will operate an email and telephone hotline to provide voter assistance to persons with disabilities in Pennsylvania on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Dedicated DRP attorneys and advocates will receive and respond to every email and phone call as they are received from
7:00 am to 8:00 pm on Election Day.

Voters with disabilities who encounter barriers to voting, have been refused the right to vote, have been challenged as to their residency or identity, want to verify their polling location, or who simply have questions about voting can email DRP at electionday@disabilityrightspa.org or call the hotline at 717-839-5227. The email and hotline will be staffed live from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm on November 8.

“This election is exceedingly important to our community.” said Peri Jude Radecic, Chief Executive Officer of Disability Rights Pennsylvania. “Our vote will help decide whether we have lawmakers who will vote to end waiting lists for home and community based services, increase support for competitive and integrated employment, provide adequate funding for Medicaid and Medicare, increase the availability of accessible and affordable housing, and more. I urge our community, our family, and our allies to turn out and vote on November 8.”
Federal civil rights laws were passed to ensure that people with disabilities have access to polling places, are able to register to vote, have voting materials in accessible formats, and can exercise a private and independent vote. These laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Disability Rights Pennsylvania notes that barriers for people with disabilities on Election Day can include inaccessible polling places, lack of accommodations, voter intimidation, and accessible machine failures. Voters who experience problems or barriers should call 717-839-5227 or send an email to electionday@disabilityrightspa.org. Individuals who speak languages other than English should state their language and an interpreter will be connected to the call. Callers using the Pennsylvania Relay Service can dial 711.

Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) is the statewide protection and advocacy agency for Pennsylvanians with disabilities. DRP protects and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities so that they may live the lives they choose, free from abuse, neglect, discrimination, and segregation. DRP’s vision is a Commonwealth where people of all abilities are equal and free. www.disabilityrightspa.org.

###