skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Elevating Voice of Voters with Disabilities

play audio
Play

Monday, July 17, 2017   

LINCOLN, Neb. -- People with disabilities represent nearly one-sixth of the total electorate in the United States, and during National Disability Voter Registration Week, these folks are encouraged to ensure their voices are heard.

Kathy Hoell, executive director at the Nebraska Statewide Independent Living Council, said while it is critical that all eligible Nebraskans are registered to vote - including those with disabilities - it's also crucial that they follow through and cast a ballot on Election Day.

She said voters should be informed on the issues impacting those with disabilities.

"Party has not necessarily ever gotten us anywhere,” Hoell said. "But it's the issues that we care about, the people and how they can live and survive, those are the things that make a difference."

She noted that while access to the polls has improved for people with disabilities, there are persistent barriers - including transportation.

"If you live in Omaha and Lincoln, it's better but it's not as good as it could be. Then each poll has to have the accessible machine,” she said. "But if they don't know for sure if you're going to come to the poll, they might or might not set it up."

Zach Baldwin, director of outreach at the American Association of People with Disabilities, said amplifying the voice of those with disabilities should be important for all Americans because they are a large part of the community.

"There are people with disabilities among communities of color, all different genders, sexual orientations,” Baldwin said. “It's also a community that anybody can join at any time. So it really is in everybody's interest to have a disability community that's able to fully participate in society. "

According to the latest data, national voter turnout among individuals with disabilities was 56 percent in 2012 - about six percent less than for those who do not have a disability. And if the rate was the same, almost 10 million more votes would be cast in each election.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021