When I was a teenager, politics felt like something abstract and complicated. Voting seemed like a pointless endeavour, the results of which wouldn’t really impact me anyway.
Oh, how I’ve changed.
As a disabled person, I often feel like the world is stacked against me and people like me, and there’s not much we can do about it. There’s everyday ableism and difficulty accessing NDIS services to contend with (for those of us fortunate enough to be on the scheme). There’s the accessible housing crisis and lower rates of employment among disabled people, and workplace discrimination (for those of us fortunate enough to be able to work).
That’s on top of the crises that we’re all living through: climate emergency, the ongoing pandemic and the exorbitant cost of living
There is at least one thing we can do in the face of these crises, though. We can vote. We can vote with intention and a clear and full understanding of who and what our vote endorses.
As an adult, politics still seems complicated to me, but now I can see how it impacts my life and the lives of my loved ones every day. Now, I see my vote differently: as a small but powerful act of self and collective advocacy.
Over the last few years, I’ve taken the time to learn about different political parties and politicians, and it wasn’t a difficult process. I started by following some politicians online, scrolling through old posts and reading new ones to understand if their values aligned with mine, especially in regard to disability.
Disability rights are often used as a political football, with a prime example in the framing of the NDIS as an ‘economic burden.’
Arming ourselves with knowledge about what each party and candidate intends to do about disability rights and voting accordingly is our chance to refuse to be kicked around, and to make ourselves heard.
And if voting in person isn’t accessible for you (it’s not ideal for my wheelchair or my anxiety), you can enroll to vote by post or phone.
If you want to know more about how your vote can impact the wider disability community, and about accessible options for voting, sign up for CPActive’s free online event, ‘Your Right to Vote,’ happening on Tuesday 1 April.
You’ll also hear from a panel of experts who’ll be happy to answer any of your election and voting-related questions. This is an event you don’t want to miss!
