Advocates for increasing voter turnout among people living with disabilities will rally in front of Jacksonville City Hall at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The We Vote Rally happens every presidential election cycle. Participants learn about issues surrounding various disabilities and can also register to vote.
Workers at Jacksonville’s Independent Living Resource Center participate in the event. The center provides services like interpreters for the deaf and mobility devices.
Center Executive Director Tyler Morris said he thinks disability issues will be very important this election cycle, with about 57 million people living with disabilities nationwide.
”There’s a lot of things that can be addressed in this presidential cycle in the disability community, anything from housing issues, Medicaid, waiting lists, employment,” Morris said.
Morris says Jacksonville does a lot of things well, but could improve in areas like transportation and employment opportunities.
He also stressed the importance of what is called “people first language." This means recognizing someone as a person first and their disability as a secondary feature rather than a defining one. His organization provides free sensitivity training for local businesses.
