Groups which made up the coalition included The National Federation of the Blind of New York State, American Council of the Blind of New York, Inc., the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, Disability Rights New York, and several New York voters with disabilities, including Rasheta Bunting, Karen Gourgey, Keith Gurgui, and Jose Hernandez. As reported, Bronxite, Hernandez, was one of many to take part in a rally held in Co-op City to call for a wage increase for home care workers.

 

Reacting to the news, Timothy A. Clune, executive director of Disability Rights New York, said, “DRNY is pleased that the absentee voting program is now more accessible. Through this agreement, the New York State Board of Elections has made it easier for people with print disabilities to vote with greater privacy and independence.” Clune added, “All voters need access to vote in order to have their voice heard in their local, state and federal elections.”

 

Meanwhile, Mike Robinson, president of the National Federation of the Blind of New York State, said the federation supported the right of “blind, deaf-blind,” and other disabled voters to mark their ballots privately and independently so that their right to a secret ballot is protected. “We are pleased that the State of New York is taking these steps so that its blind and deaf-blind voters can exercise this constitutional right, which is fundamental to participation in our democracy,” he said.

 

In New York City, according to a 2011 report by the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, there were 889,219 individuals living with disabilities, 11 percent of the City’s population. At the time, this was a slightly lower percentage than in the United States as a whole, at 11.7 percent, and in New York State at 11.1 percent. The Bronx, at 13.7 percent, had the highest percentage of people living with disabilities out of all five boroughs, while Brooklyn and Queens had the highest numbers of people with disabilities living in their respective boroughs.

 

Meanwhile, according to 2020 American Community Survey data, 15.7 percent of the Bronx population had a disability. That same survey lists the population of the Bronx at just over 1.4 million people. Based on the same dataset, this percentage appears to be higher than in the other boroughs i.e. 10 percent for Brooklyn, 9.7 percent for Queens, 10.3 percent for Manhattan, and 9.9 percent for Staten Island.

This and other data, broken down by type of disability, can be viewed  here: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ by searching for “Disability” and then filtering by county under “Geography.”

The Oscar for Actor in a Supporting Role goes to Troy Kotsur for his spectacular performance in 'CODA.' Congratulations! #Oscars @troykotsur pic.twitter.com/pX3tZGzt2X

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 28, 2022

 

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the BOE were represented by Disability Rights New York, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), and Brown Goldstein & Levy, LLP. According to DRA, the settled lawsuit requires BOE to choose an online remote, accessible, vote-by-mail (RAVBM) system that allows blind people and people with print disabilities to use their own computers to read and mark a ballot, using their own screen-reader software that converts the ballot content into spoken words or into Braille displayed on a connected device.

 

Indeed, in the context of voting rights, the point could be argued that parents on low incomes should never be blamed for not exercising their constitutional right to vote when potentially, due to their financial circumstances and long working hours, etc, the only way they can potentially do so is to take their kids with them, often in strollers, and stand in line for several hours at a time, irrespective of the type of weather, a situation any parent understands is far from ideal.

 

 

The news was also welcomed by Karen Blachowicz, president of the American Council of the Blind, New York, who said, “We’re pleased that the State will provide consistent accessible absentee voting methods and supervision of every county board, so that every blind voter in New York can be confident of an accessible absentee vote.” Meanwhile, Christina Brandt-Young, supervising attorney at Disability Rights Advocates, said, “We will continue to fight for the fundamental right of people with disabilities to vote privately and independently.”

 

The disability community, worldwide, garnered increased attention last month when the film, CODA [Children of Deaf Adults], won the Best Picture award at the Oscars ceremony in Los Angelus. The movie also picked up the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Troy Kotsur’s performance.

 

The Bronx is home to the New York Institute for Special Education which was founded in 1831 as The New York Institute for the Blind. It is one of the oldest schools in America that provides education and specialized services for children with disabilities. The school relocated to the Bronx in 1924, and currently has more than 250 students from across the five boroughs and Westchester County, including over 100 students who reside in the Bronx and who attend the school’s preschool program.

 

Norwood News reported last year how over 120 preschoolers participated in the school’s annual “Trike-a-Thon,” in efforts to raise needed funding for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The event, held on May 13, 2021 at Frampton Hall on Astor Avenue in Pelham Gardens, had students from the school’s ‘readiness program’ ride their tricycles through the halls of the school to raise money and awareness for the urgent work that St. Jude’s carries out each year, treating an average of 8,500 children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

#ICYMI @NYCMayor joined Robert DeNiro and opening night honoree and former @NYCDisabilities Commissioner Victor Calise for the ReelAbilities Film Festival in New York City last night. pic.twitter.com/V8PobL8bEk

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) April 8, 2022

 

As also reported, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, announced on Sunday, April 10, that the mayor had tested positive for COVID-19. On Friday, April 8, Adams had attended the “14th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York,” which promotes awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. The mayor and others, including actor Robert de Niro, were seen interacting with attendees without a mask, even though people with disabilities are at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Earlier in the week, on April 2, the mayor had attended the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, DC, where about 60 people later came down with COVID-19. 

 

Meanwhile, in other disability news, last month, the Center for an Urban Future published a report entitled, “Access Opportunity: Expanding Economic Opportunity for New Yorkers with Disabilities.” The report can be read here.

 

INCLUDEnyc is a New York based organization serving young people with any disability or suspected disability from birth to 26, their families, and professionals who work with them. For help with special education and disability questions, INCLUDEnyc has a Help Line in English, Spanish, and interpretation in over 200 languages, workshops, and hundreds of free resources: www.includenyc.org or www.incluyenyc.org.