Tips For Creating an Accessible Campaign

People With Disabilities Vote

One in five Americans, including nineteen percent of likely voters, experience a disability. They, along with their families, friends and allies, vote. Whether it be employment, education, mental health services, or housing policy, many issues directly affect the disability community. Voter turnout among people with disabilities increased by 8.5 points between the 2014 and 2018 elections. Making a campaign more accessible allows candidates to better engage with all voters, including this increasingly important constituency.

Staff Development and Disability Etiquette

• Train all staff on how to interact respectfully with people with disabilities. Review the RespectAbility Inclusion Toolkit on Disability Etiquette.
• Hire people with disabilities to work on your campaign

Campaign Materials

• Use appropriate disability language and inclusive images.  Review the  Stop Special Campaign’s Disability Language Guide
• Ensure all printed materials are accessible: color contrast, plain language, font size
• Ensure website & social media are digitally accessible. The WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools can assist you with this.
• Caption all videos and provide transcripts when possible

Campaign Events

• Include a ‘Do you require accommodations?’ question for all event registrations (on-line and in-person)
• Provide ASL interpretation for all events (on-line and in-person)

On-line Events

• Provide CART captioning
• Distribute accessible slides ahead of the event. The WebAIM PowerPoint Accessibility Tool can assist with this.
• Make your Zoom event accessible.  Zoom’s Accessibility FAQs are a helpful resource.

In-Person Events

• Ensure all venues are physically accessible
• Designate an ADA Section in the front
• Assign trained staff to assist when necessary

For more detailed information on creating an accessible campaign: Including People with Disabilities in Your Political Campaign: A Guide for Campaign Staff from the National Council on Independent Living.

Helpful Terms

• ASL Interpreter: American Sign Language Interpreter
• ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act
• CART: Real-time captioning during an event

The Importance of Language

• Person-first language should be used unless an individual prefers identity-first language. Best guideline when referring to people with disabilities is to ASK.
• Avoid Using Euphemisms:
  • Don’t use “differently-abled,” “physically challenged,” “handi-capable,” or “special needs.”
  • Don’t ever use “the r-word,” or “crippled.”
  • Using these terms is considered condescending and offensive, implying that people with disabilities are somehow broken, less than or deficient.
• Disability is a natural part of the human experience.