Over the last two years, for good reasons, #CripTheVote has mostly focused on disability issues at the national level on the U.S. Presidency and Congress as have similar efforts in other countries like #CripTheVoteUK. But a lot happens in states, counties, cities, and towns that directly and immediately affect disabled people’s lives. Tomorrow’s members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, and presidents often start out as today’s village board members, city councilors, state legislators, and governors. In this chat we will explore state and local government, and how the growing disability community is doing in these important but often overlooked arenas.
How to Participate
Follow @GreggBeratan @AndrewPulrang @DisVisibility. When it’s time for the chat, 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 amount of tweets and only want to see the chat’s questions so you can respond to them, check @DisVisibility’s account. The questions will be Tweeted 5-6 minutes apart.
Another way to participate in the chat is to use this app that allows you to pause the chat if the Tweets are coming at you too fast: http://www.tchat.io/
Here’s an article about how to participate in a Twitter chat: https://www.adweek.com/digital/how-to-join-a-twitter-hashtag-chat/
Check out this captioned ASL explanation of how to participate in a chat by @behearddc https://www.facebook.com/HEARDDC/videos/1181213075257528/
Introductory Tweets and Chat Questions
Welcome to the #CripTheVote chat on state and local disability issues. We look forward to learning about what’s happening in your community. 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 Which state, county, city, town, or village do you live in and how would you describe the disability community in your area? #CripTheVote
Q2 Who is active in disability issues in your state and local area? What advocacy organizations or groups are you familiar with on disability issues? #CripTheVote
Q3 How well do your state and local elected officials understand disability issues? Are they generally supportive, resistant, or indifferent? What form does their resistance or support take? #CripTheVote
Q4 What are some of the highest priority disability issues in your state? Are there specific budget issues? Critical pieces of legislation? Long term problems that still need to be addressed? #CripTheVote
Q5 What are some of the highest priority disability issues in your village, town, city, or county? #CripTheVote
Q6 How do your local governments address accessibility in your community, including public buildings and spaces, businesses, and transportation? #CripTheVote
Q7 How are you involved in disability activism in your state and local area? Share some of your experiences, good or bad. #CripTheVote
Q8 With so much focus on the national political scene, how can we ensure that local disability issues get the attention they deserve? #CripTheVote
