State Candidates to Discuss Issues of Interest to Disability Community

With Election Day just five weeks away, Connecticut residents are increasingly looking ahead to a decision on which candidates to support, and to the voting process this year.

A non-partisan forum, focused on issues of particular interest to the disability community, with candidates (or their surrogates) for major state offices will be held on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 3:00 – 7:00 PM, at the Sheraton Rocky Hill hotel.

Candidates – or their surrogates – invited to attend include those seeking the office of Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the State, United States Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Candidates will answer questions from veteran Connecticut journalist Diane Smith on disability topics that include independent living, employment, Social Security, housing, health care and other related issues.

The event is being coordinated by Disability Rights Connecticut, CT Cross-Disability Lifespan Alliance, CT State Independent Living Council and the UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

New York Times bestselling author, Emmy award winning journalist, documentary producer and speaker, Diane Smith has been on the air in Connecticut for more than two decades and currently teaches Communication at the University of New Haven.

Sign language interpreters and simultaneous Spanish/English interpreter services will be available for both the virtual and in-person sessions.

Disability Rights Connecticut has also produced a video highlighting accessibility legal rights and requirements at Connecticut polling places, which are administered by the state’s municipalities.

The video features individuals with disabilities sharing the impact of voting in their lives, and details legal requirements at polling places to assure accessibility, such as slope of ramps, parking, clear path of travel, use of service animals, private polling stations, ballots, and electronic voting systems, stressing that “everyone has the right to vote,” and noting that “polling place accessibility is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

“The right to vote is essential. There is no excuse for barriers to the right to vote for people with disabilities. DRCT is committed advocating the rights of people with disabilities to exercise this core right and to fully be included in every aspect of the voting process and its related activities,” said Deborah Dorfman, Executive Director of Disability Rights Connecticut.

As was stated in the video, “People with disabilities have a voice. We must make sure our politicians hear us on Election Day.” Added another person interviewed for the video, “We are Americans with disabilities, and our votes count.”

The 9-minute video, available for viewing on YouTube, was produced for Disability Rights Connecticut by Rachael Lamphier of Conjoined Creative, with additional support by Emily Walsh of ECW Communications.

For additional information regarding voting, contact local the Registrar of Voters office in your local community. Individuals with concerns regarding accessibility at polling places may contact Disability Rights Connecticut at 1-800-842-7303.