An estimated 38 million eligible voters have disabilities. It has always been hard for them to vote, and this year has brought even more obstacles.
The number of Americans at risk of disenfranchisement is huge: According to new projections from researchers at Rutgers University, more than 38 million eligible voters have disabilities. That’s more than 16 percent of the electorate.
This total — nearly that of the entire population of California — includes an estimated 21.3 million eligible voters with mobility disabilities, 13.1 million with cognitive disabilities, 11.6 million with hearing disabilities and seven million with visual disabilities. (Many voters fall into multiple categories.) The disenfranchisement of even a small fraction could swing the election. From the New York Times:
“Democracy only works if everyone is able to participate and vote,” said Lisa Schur, a professor at Rutgers University who conducted the research with her husband, Douglas Kruse, who is also a professor. “And to the extent people with disabilities are excluded from the process, then we really have a failed system.” Source: New York Times.