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Advancing the Human & Civil Rights of People with Disabilities in Illinois

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Voting Rights

Ensuring accessible voting systems

We work with election authorities in Illinois and voters with disabilities to ensure that the entire voting process is accessible, from registration to early voting to ballot access.  We provide technical assistance to voters in requesting accommodations from election authorities and intervene directly with election authorities – on and before Election Day – to alert them to problems with accessibility.

Voters with Disabilities Helpline

We staff a statewide telephone helpline on Election Days, including text help for people who are deaf/hard of hearing or who have speech impairment.

Registering people with disabilities to vote

By serving as deputy registrars in counties throughout Illinois, we reach people with disabilities and help them register to vote.  We can also answer questions people with disabilities have about registration or voting, including absentee voting.  We have registered people with disabilities to vote in a variety of settings, including mental health hospitals, day treatment programs and high schools.

Advocating for accessible voting

We routinely help people with disabilities navigate the electoral process and assist in contacting election authorities to report and troubleshoot problems on Election Day and throughout the year.  We help people with disabilities understand their right to vote via educational materials developed by advocates and direct advocacy to help resolve problems they encounter.

Voting Access Chicago

For Voting Access Chicago, EFE designed an ADA accessibility survey app and manages a survey program of all polling places in the City of Chicago, pursuant to a settlement agreement between the City of Chicago Board of Elections and the U.S. Department of Justice.  EFE trains hundreds of surveyors to use our ADA survey app, including hundreds of volunteer lawyers, law students, and other professionals who survey polling place accessibility on Election Days.

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If you would like to request a voting rights training, a voter registration event, or need assistance with an accessible voting problem, contact:

Bebe Novich
bebe@equipforequality.org
312-895-7262

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Last updated: October 12, 2020

This website is made possible by funding support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, both the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and the Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; and the U.S. Department of Education, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The contents of this website are solely the responsibility of Equip for Equality and do not necessarily represent the official view of any of these agencies.

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