4/2 Twitter Chat: Disabled People in Public Service

Image description: graphic with a bright yellow background with black text that reads "#CripTheVote Twitter Chat Disabled People and Public Service, April 02, 2017, 9 pm Eastern, Guest hosts: @sblahov @RebeccaCokley, cripthevote.blogspot.com"

Since #CripTheVote began more than a year ago our discussions have repeatedly come back to the need for disabled people in public service. The co-partners of #CripTheVote, Andrew Pulrang, Gregg Beratan, and Alice Wong, and guest hosts Rebecca Cokley and Sarah Blahovec will discuss the many of the issues surrounding disabled people and public service.

How to Participate

Follow @GreggBeratan @AndrewPulrang @DisVisibility @RebeccaCokley @sblahov on Twitter

When it’s time, search #CripTheVote on Twitter for the series of live tweets under the ‘Latest’ tab for the full conversation.

If you don’t use Twitter, you can follow along in real time here: http://twubs.com/CripTheVote

If you might be overwhelmed by the volume of tweets and only want to see the chat’s questions so you can respond to them, check @DisVisibility’s account. Each question will tweeted 6-8 minutes apart.

Check out this explanation of how to participate in a Twitter chat by Ruti Regan: https://storify.com/RutiRegan/examplechat

Check out this captioned ASL explanation of how to participate in a chat by @behearddc
https://www.facebook.com/HEARDDC/videos/1181213075257528/

Articles that may be of interest

Blahovec, Sarah. (February 1, 2017). Someone Should Help Disabled People Run for Office. NOS Magazine.

LaCorte, Rachel. (January 7, 2017). Washington Set to Swear in 1st Blind Lieutenant Governor. Associated Press.

Wade, Carrie. (January 23, 2017). 10 More Disabled Women Who Are Making Political Noise. Auto straddle.

Wong, Alice. (October 17, 2016). #CripTheVote Interview: Thida Cornes for Mountain View City Council.

Introductory Tweets and Questions for 4/2 Chat

Welcome to the #CripTheVote chat on disabled people in public service! Let’s do this!

This is the 5th #CripTheVote chat of 2017. We also have a new blog with updates and events: http://cripthevote.blogspot.com/p/upcoming-cripthevote-events_12.html   

Please remember to use the #CripTheVote hashtag when you tweet.

If you respond to a question such as Q1, your tweet should follow this format: “A1 [your message] #CripTheVote”

Q1 Why is it important to have disabled people involved in public service? #CripTheVote

The top policy rec in our survey last year was more disabled people to govt & policy-making positions http://svy.mk/1UbDWju #CripTheVote

Q2 What forms of public service are out there for people to be a part of? #CripTheVote

Q3 How can we as a community support & encourage more disabled people to get involved in public service? #CripTheVote

Q4 What are the barriers preventing people from various forms of service? Are there ways of circumventing/bypassing them? #CripTheVote

Q5 Is it important that disabled people run for office? Why? #CripTheVote

Q6 What perspectives/knowledges/skills do disabled people bring to public service that nondisabled people don’t? #CripTheVote

For our next 2 questions, we’ll switch formats so you ask our guest hosts some questions about public service #CripTheVote

Q7 What Qs do you have @RebeccaCokley who is a lifelong disability activist has worked in fed govt in various capacities? #CripTheVote

Q8 What Qs do you have for @Sblahov, a disabled activist trying to encourage disabled people to run for office?  #CripTheVote

This concludes the #CripTheVote chat on disabled people in public service. Many thanks to our guest hosts @RebeccaCokley & @Sblahov!!

Please keep the convo going & join us 4/29 for our #CripTheVote chat about the 1st 100 days of the current administration w/ @serenevannoy