Disability / Health Concern
Our 'Disability / Health Concern' category of stories explores the challenges voters with disabilities and health-related concerns face when casting their votes. These interviews are a testament to the resilience and determination of individuals striving for equal participation in the electoral process.
It's a surprising fact to most of us that approximately 1 in 6 Americans experience disability. How that affects their voting process can be very profound. We examine the obstacles they might face when exercising their right to vote privately and independently. Included are stories that explore the complexities of voting from congregate settings, such as nursing homes, state hospitals, and developmental centers.
We address voting with an emergency ballot if one is hospitalized right before an election as well as a wide spectrum of disability-related voting issues. Each interview highlights the deep commitment of these voters to strengthening an inclusive and accessible democracy for all.
Can I Vote With a Communication Device?
Olivia Bayer, M.S., CCC-SLP
If you have a condition that makes it hard for you to speak or process language, we have tools and tips to help you communicate at your polling location on Election Day.
How to Vote With a Communication Disorder
Millions of Americans have challenges speaking, reading, writing, and processing language. Although people may struggle to find ways to communicate effectively, that issue does not necessarily mean their capacity, cognition or intelligence is diminished.
Can you vote if you have a communication impairment? Yes, you may be eligible. Your right to vote cannot be taken away just because reading, writing, and communicating are hard for you. Only a court can take away this right - not a family member, health care professional, or poll worker.
Olivia Bayer from Lingraphica has Pro Tips for You
Lingraphica creates augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices that empower people living with communication diagnoses. Olivia Bayer, M.S., CCC-SLP is a content writer at Lingraphica and a medical speech-language pathologist with seven years of experience working in a Level I Trauma and Stroke Center, inpatient rehabilitation, and dysphagia diagnostics.
Olivia Bayer is passionate about advocacy for individuals with communication and swallowing disorders. She joins U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) to describe devices and options that can help create a smoother voting experience.
US.VOTE
Thanks for joining us, Olivia. Let’s start off by hearing about what AAC is, and why someone would use an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device.
Olivia Bayer
Thank you for having me, and giving me the opportunity to discuss this important topic!
The term “Augmentative and Alternative Communication” or simply “AAC” refers to all the tools that let you communicate besides speaking.
For example, everyone uses some form of AAC in everyday life – like texting, writing, or gestures. However, people who have more difficulty speaking due to diagnoses like aphasia, apraxia of speech, or dysarthria may rely more heavily on forms of AAC to communicate.
AAC devices range from simple, low-tech options (like paper communication boards) to high-tech, computerized devices.
Using a high-tech AAC device allows a person to communicate by creating messages that are immediately spoken aloud by the device. They give people who have difficulty speaking a way to express themselves, connect with others, and participate in everyday activities.
US.VOTE
How does Lingraphica help people with communication disabilities? And how do folks acquire an AAC device?
Olivia Bayer
Lingraphica helps people with communication disabilities live more independent lives by offering easy-to-use, high-tech AAC devices and many free resources – like a therapy app, clinical education for speech pathologists, and virtual conversation and support groups. Our AAC devices are built to be user-friendly and customizable for people of all ages and abilities.
We also provide free, no-obligation trials and demos for all of our devices. Anyone can experience how our AAC devices work before purchasing one.
Every AAC company has different processes for getting a device. I’m happy to say that Lingraphica’s is very simple. All you have to do is submit a form on our website to begin a free AAC device trial.
Our team works closely with the individual, their care partners, and their speech pathologist (if they have one) during the trial to ensure that the device is tailored to their specific communication needs. We help with navigating health insurance coverage and funding for our devices. We also provide free, lifetime communication coaching and tech support. We try to keep it as easy as possible for our device users and the speech pathologists we serve!
US.VOTE
Can you walk us through a voting scenario and illustrate how voters would use an AAC device at their polling place? How would they employ this technology when checking in with election workers?
Olivia Bayer
While voting, a person using an AAC device would need to check in with the poll workers, just like any voter does. As ADA accessibility laws state, they have the right to bring their AAC device and a support person to the polls to assist them with voting, if needed. They can also request help from a poll worker.
I would suggest pre-programming vocabulary into the AAC device for this scenario and role-playing it with a loved one or their speech therapist. That way, the AAC user feels prepared to introduce themselves and request assistance with voting, if needed.
If the AAC user doesn’t need any further assistance to read or complete their ballot, they may not need to use their device beyond introducing themselves to the poll worker while checking in. Otherwise, they could use their AAC device to communicate with the poll worker or their support person while completing their ballot.
A few ideas of messages to pre-program into an AAC device include:
- My name is [full legal name]
- I had a [medical event]
- I have [communication impairment]
- I have trouble speaking, but I can understand you
- I need assistance voting
- I do not need assistance voting
- I will be receiving assistance from [person’s name]
- Voting is my legal right
US.VOTE
Great suggestions!
Do you have any tips for support persons? How can they most respectfully aid a voter?
Olivia Bayer
Yes, definitely! Here are some of the most important voting-related tips I’d re-iterate:
- Never touch someone’s AAC device without permission.
- Be patient and give the AAC user plenty of time to respond. It can take extra time to create a message using an AAC device, even for the most experienced users!
- Do not assume lack of intelligence. There are many reasons why people may use an AAC device; it does not immediately mean the person’s cognition is impaired.
- Please ask clarifying questions, especially if you don’t fully understand what the AAC user is trying to communicate.
US.VOTE
It’s also important to note that a voter has the right to refuse assistance.
What strategies would you recommend for voters with communication challenges who want to exercise their right to a private and independent vote if they do not have access to an AAC and do not want an assistant?
Olivia Bayer
If they wouldn’t be able to communicate with poll workers independently in order to check in at the polling place, I would suggest considering the option to vote from home via a mail-in ballot.
US.VOTE
That’s a good option. Or they may find the accessible ballot marking devices helpful. This method of voting is available now at polling locations for all federal elections. Folks might benefit from certain accommodations such as a plain language ballot or a screen reader.
Clearly, communication ramps are as important as physical ramps at polling locations, aren’t they?
What information would you like to convey to poll workers to best prepare to serve people with invisible disabilities?
Olivia Bayer
Yes, and I love that term – “communication ramps” are very important. I think it’s crucial to convey to poll workers that a communication disability does not necessarily mean the person is not intelligent or competent enough to vote.
The areas in our brain that we use for speech and language can be impacted without impairing a person’s cognition. For example, many people with aphasia have intact cognition but struggle to speak the words they want to say. Similarly, a person with ALS may be unable to speak due to the impact ALS has on their speech muscles – but their cognition remains fully intact.
A person with a communication disability may need extra time, accommodations, and accessibility tools to vote – similar to someone with a physical disability. Please be extra patient, and listen to whatever they’re trying to communicate with you so that you can help them vote.
US.VOTE
Thank you for sharing tools and tips to encourage folks to vote. It’s so helpful - and empowering - to feel prepared for an election. This information may both help narrow the turnout gap for voters with disabilities AND educate fellow citizens who want to help make the voting process as smooth as possible.
Olivia Bayer
You’re welcome! I am so happy to share this information and hope it does inspire people with communication disabilities to exercise their right to vote, as well as fellow citizens who maybe have never met an AAC user before. I also hope this conversation empowers speech-language pathologists to discuss voting with their clients and to educate them on their rights.
Voters with communication disabilities should check out US Vote's Voter Accounts. You can securely upload all your voting form information and safely store it there. That way, each time you need to generate a form to register to vote or request an absentee ballot, you just print it out without re-entering all the fields.
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