
We’re just two weeks away from what feels like one of the most significant presidential races in modern times. Every day, we’re flooded with campaigns targeting various groups—men, women, Black voters, Hispanic Voters, Asian Voters—and because the race is incredibly tight, we’re seeing just how crucial democracy is, and how powerful each of our votes can be.
The Overlooked Demographic: Disabled Voters Count
But regardless of where your beliefs fall, there’s one glaring omission from both sides: a specific strategy to win over the 70 million disabled voters. Leaving our vote invisible, as though the issues that impact us don’t matter.
This isn’t new. The value of disabled people is often overlooked in the workplace, in society, and now, in campaigns for our vote. This is why I do what I do with my business.
Our needs, desires, and survival often seem invisible to those in power. Our value and knowledge go unnoticed and underserved.
Bridging the Gap: The Need for Inclusion in Campaigns
The major issues driving this election—preserving democracy, women’s rights, the economy, immigration—are all important and will influence how each of us vote. But as a disabled person, I feel a different kind of urgency on a topic that seems to go unnoticed.
I don’t usually get political, and honestly, I’m nervous about sharing how I feel. In today’s climate, it feels like we can’t openly discuss differing perspectives to gain understanding. But I always preach inclusion when I speak, and I believe that means pushing fear aside, being brave, getting uncomfortable, asking tough questions, and truly listening to one another.
So, here’s why I’m voting the way I am—speaking as a disabled voter. And I hope that no matter what side you’re on you will read this.
I’ve lived a lot of my life in a world where having a pre-existing condition meant that insurance companies could charge you excessively or drop you altogether. Conditions like illness, disease, surgery, paralysis, cancer, chronic illness, hearing or vision loss, mental health, congenital disability or one that develops over time, and heart disease, stroke etc. The lists go on and on and on. Disability has an extremely large range and scope—all disabilities that millions of us live with or will potentially experience within our lifetimes.
Personal Experience: A Journey Through Healthcare Challenges
When I was 14, I had a major surgery to reconstruct my bladder, a 10-hour procedure that almost killed me on the operating table. Over the years, I’ve dealt with chronic kidney infections, some of which turned septic, but that surgery also changed my life for the better because it gave me control over my body.
But afterward, I experienced the harsh reality of pre-existing condition policies. My insurance became way too expensive, and I lost coverage. Coming from a middle-class family, my dad’s income was to much which meant I didn’t qualify for state assistance. So, for years, I went without insurance because it was unaffordable.
During that time, I experienced intense stomach pain that would stop me in my tracks but ignored it because I couldn’t afford medical care. By the time I was able to apply and receive insurance again, my bladder and kidneys had literally turned to stone, leading to multiple life-threatening surgeries to address the damage.
This all happened because of the pre-existing condition policies that made healthcare unattainable for people like me who desperately needed them to literally survive. And today, I’m so scared that we’ll return to those days. This fear has led me to stockpiling catheters and antibiotics, afraid that I’ll lose access to the medications or supplies I need to survive.
The Stakes: Why This Election Matters for Disabled Individuals
I’m voting Democrat—not because I believe either side fully understands, values, or genuinely acknowledges me or the potential of my community—the 70 million disabled voters who could easily sway this election. If they did, we’d be included in the direct calls to action to vote which we are not and that has been glaring obvious this election cycle. But for me, the stakes are simply too high to stay silent. One side is committed to ensuring in-home care and protecting healthcare access, including safeguards for pre-existing conditions. The other side has shown disregard for these critical needs, sometimes even using hurtful language about disabled people, perpetuating ableism. This vote, for me, is about protecting the healthcare that keeps me—and over 70 million other disabled people—alive. Today, I felt compelled to use my disabled advocacy voice to share my why.
Please vote!
Disabled voters, we have the power to sway this election. With over 70 million of us and counting, we can, we have and DO make a difference in this life.