Disabled people must be given same rights

April 18, 2006

The Daily Star-Letter to the Editor

In response to your April 8 article, "Survey: Disabled prefer absentee ballots," I didn’t get a survey.

Since I’m blind I think it’s safe to assume that although I qualify, I’m not "privileged" enough to be on the "disabled" list. Just who and where are these 263 people? Do we even know if they are really disabled? Did the "disability police" check them out to make sure they weren’t just lazy?

I and thousands of people with disabilities in New York state living active, productive lives, who want to exercise the same rights as you, would never choose an absentee ballot. Primarily because it doesn’t afford voters the ability to vote privately or independently, and generally absentee ballots aren’t counted until long after election results are reported.

Exercising our right to vote independently is critical to the democratic process and our way of life. It is built on the premise that I, and others like me, have the right to demand the same choices and control in our everyday lives as our nondisabled family, neighbors, friends and yes, even our county Democratic deputy election commissioner does.

How would Ms. Jarvis feel knowing that her vote was no longer private? I suspect she wouldn’t like it much.

Technology exists that allows disabled voters to vote privately and independently. Thanks to the Help America Vote Act, millions of dollars will find their way to New York with which to purchase accessible machines.

It’s time people with disabilities were let out of the closet and afforded the same rights and privileges as everyone else. Suggesting we be forced to vote by absentee ballot isn’t only morally wrong and illegal, it is also personally offensive.

Charles Reichardt, Unadilla