It’s National Disability Voter Registration Week! If you haven’t already registered to vote, visit our recent blog post to learn more.

It can feel pretty overwhelming to learn about candidates and to prepare to vote! The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has put together a Voter Resource Center, which provides links to information on a variety of voting-related topics. The link includes resources on how to register to vote, how to learn about candidates, how to amplify the power of the disability vote, and more. Consider taking some time to investigate these resources (or bookmark it for later)!

The Ohio Department of Transportation is seeking feedback for their first-ever pedestrian and bicycle plan and is looking for Ohioans to fill out an online survey. The information and feedback collected from the survey will inform the Walk.Bike.Ohio plan. Make your voice heard about accessibility barriers you might face when biking and/or using sidewalks, crosswalks, etc. in Ohio.

Click here to access the survey or here for more information.

It’s National Disability Voter Registration Week! Today, we are highlighting current trends in voter turnout among individuals with disabilities.

Did You Know?

• In the 2016 election, 16 millions individuals with disabilities voted (Source: AAPD).
• In the 2016 election, voter turnout for individuals with disabilities was 6% lower than individuals without disabilities (Source: AAPD).
• Employed individuals with disabilities were just as likely to vote as employed individuals without disabilities (Source: AAPD).
• “If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as people without disabilities who have the same demographic characteristics, there would be about 2.2 million more voters” (Source: AAPD).
• In Ohio, individuals with disabilities had a 12.3% lower turnout rate than individuals without disabilities, demonstrating a higher turnout gap than the national average, which is 6.3% (Source: AAPD).
• If you combine the number of individuals with disabilities and their family members, this group makes up 25% of the electorate (Source: AAPD)!

As you can tell from the information above, it’s critical to continue to increase voter turnout of individuals with disabilities! To learn more about how to register to vote, visit our recent blog post.

It’s National Disability Voter Registration Week! Today, we are highlighting your voting rights at your polling location.

Did You Know? 

• “An estimated 30-35% of all voters in the next twenty-five years will need some form of accommodation” (Source: AAPD).

Watch this video for a brief overview of your rights as a voter:

Additional Facts about Accessing Your Polling Location/Voting:

• If you can’t find transportation to your polling location, you can contact your local campaign headquarters. These headquarters might offer transportation assistance, such as a volunteer who is driving people to their polling locations (Source: Disability Rights Ohio).
  • For more information, click here.
• Polling locations are required to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Because some exceptions exist, you can contact your local board of elections ahead of time to ask about your specific polling location (Source: Disability Rights Ohio).
  • To access the ADA checklist on what makes a polling location accessible, click here.
• You can request assistance from someone you know or from poll workers, and you can bring a sample ballot with you when voting (Source: Disability Rights Ohio).
  • For more information, click here.

Click here to access FAQs about your voting rights, published by Disability Rights Ohio.

July 15^th-19^th is National Disability Voter Registration Week, an effort organized by the REV UP Campaign. REV UP, which stands for “Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power,” aims to increase political involvement of the disability community and to bring awareness to disability-related issues.

If you aren’t already registered to vote, learn more about the registration process on Disability Rights Ohio or on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.

Stay tuned for more information about voting in the next few days, including information about your rights at your polling place!

To learn more, view the REV UP brochure or visit their website.

Nisonger Faculty, Staff, Students, Family & Friends,

We need your help! Please take a moment to review the Nisonger Center website https://nisonger.osu.edu/ and provide your feedback on this ONE QUESTION survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C9FBSHB, at your earliest convenience.

Students use a portal called BuckeyeLink to access finances, class schedules, grades, and more. With permission from the OSU student, parents and guardians can access student finances to view and make payments toward tuition and fees. To learn how to set up this parent/guardian access, click here and follow the steps.

Currently, there seems to be a never-ending list of apps available for download, and many can increase an individual’s access to and success in the classroom, in the community, or in a variety of other contexts. Over the summer, we’ll highlight several of these apps, so hopefully you find one that fits your lifestyle!

App name: myHomework

Where you can access this app: smartphones, computers/laptops, and tablets

What can this app do?

This app helps you keep track of school assignments to organize your schoolwork and to help ensure you meet all of your deadlines. This app syncs across platforms, so you can access your planner on your computer or on your smartphone. Courses are color-coded and you can activate notifications for reminders about upcoming deadlines.

I’ve used this app and find it helpful when trying to balance multiple classes. At the beginning of the semester, I took some time to insert all of the assignments provided on course syllabi into the app. Then, I had all of my deadlines for my classes in one place and could easily look ahead to anticipate upcoming assignments, tests, and more.

How much does this app cost? This app is free to download. Optional upgrade is available.

Click here to learn more about this app.

Sources:

https://myhomeworkapp.com/

Currently, there seems to be a never-ending list of apps available for download, and many can increase an individual’s access to and success in the classroom, in the community, or in a variety of other contexts. Over the summer, we’ll highlight several of these apps, so hopefully you find one that fits your lifestyle!

App name: Libby

Where you can access this app: smartphones and tablets

What can this app do?

Libby works by connecting with your local library system. It’s available for individuals with a Columbus Metropolitan Library card, and is also available through many other library systems. The app allows you to check out audiobooks, similar to the way you would check out a traditional library book. These audiobooks are available on your electronic device, and can be downloaded for on-the-go listening. Typically, you can check out an audiobook for 21 days. A perk of the app is that it automatically returns the audiobooks, so you don’t need to worry about due dates! In addition to audiobooks, you can also borrow e-books and download them to a Kindle or to devices with the Kindle app.

Many college courses require students to read novels, so Libby is a great alternative and/or supplement to traditional reading. You can add bookmarks to remember important parts of the text, adjust the speed of the audiobook recording, and record notes.

How much does this app cost? The app is free to download. You will need a library card from your community library system to access this app.

Click here to learn more about this app.

Sources:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/libby-by-overdrive/id1076402606?mt=8

https://meet.libbyapp.com/

Check out this article about a graduated TOPS student, Austin, which was recently published by the Ohio State Dental Journal.