Make caucuses accessible to all Iowans

Jane Hudson, guest columnist

I believe that our state, our nation, is at its best when it is truly reflective of the remarkable diversity of the American people. But this can only happen if the caucuses are accessible to everyone.

More than 330,000 Iowans have a disability. The caucuses are an integral, first step in the presidential election process. When we think about future caucuses, we must turn our thoughts to the lifelong party member with a hearing impairment who cannot participate in her local caucus because no microphone is used. The young woman who cannot get up the steps to the entrance in her wheelchair. The senior who cannot leave his apartment to drive at night to a 7 p.m. caucus site and stand for two hours.

I am encouraged that the state political party chairs sent out letters to the county precinct chairs encouraging them to make their caucuses accessible to all. Both the Republican and Democratic parties also provided American Sign Language interpreters or CART services upon request for five of our clients who were deaf or hard-of-hearing. But there still is more that can be done. I would call upon both parties to explore and implement the following to make future caucuses accessible to all:

1. Look to the disability and elderly community for guidance on the various barriers that prevent full and equal participation in the caucuses for Iowa's largest minority populations.

2. Create in collaboration with these communities an exhaustive corrective action plan, to be slowly implemented in the months leading into the 2018 and 2020 caucuses.

3. Make inclusion and accessibility a clear and central priority for the leadership of both parties.

4. Include a way to request reasonable accommodations on the parties' official websites.

5. And finally, investigate a way to implement a tele-caucus or an absentee alternative for those unable to attend the caucus in person, and make plans to include such an alternative by 2020. Such an alternative can be implemented while respecting the unique character of the caucus experience, while eliminating barriers for thousands of possible participants. The Republicans provided an online way for military personnel living abroad to cast a vote at the caucus. The Democrats had a tele-caucus for those living abroad. Why can't some of the same options be available to individuals with disabilities?

Iowa has the privilege to play host to dozens of presidential hopefuls every four years, given opportunity after opportunity to shape debate, and connect on a personal level with our future leaders. With that comes the obligation to affirm our commitment to include all Iowans in the caucuses. To do less would do a disservice to the immense privilege that Iowans have as first in the nation in the presidential election process.

l Jane Hudson, J.D., is the Executive Director of Disability Rights Iowa, the Congressionally-mandated protection and advocacy system for Iowans with disabilities and/or mental illness. Comments: Disability Rights Iowa, www.driowa.org; 1-800-779-2502; info@driowa.org