The first thing I consider when I go to an event is accessibility

The first thing I consider when I go to an event is accessibility.

Will I even be able to enter the building? Find a close enough place to park (even with a state-issued accessible parking placard, this isn't a guarantee). Will there be seating at the venue? Will I have to stand in a long line? Since Iowa's caucuses occur in the middle of winter, there are additional barriers of ice and snow. I walk with a cane, sometimes a rollator (a walker with a seat) and I'm only able to stand for short amounts of time. Going to the caucus, an event guaranteed to last at least 2 hours, maybe more, means I have to plan ahead and account for a day spent in bed to recover.

In 2016, I caucused in McKinley middle school and it was an accessibility nightmare-no seating, no ability to skip the hour-long line. I was on crutches at the time, and a crush of supporters for an opposing candidate pushed me to the ground and trampled me until a volunteer helped me up.

This year, I caucused at Marion 13, at Oak Ridge Middle School, a newly-built and fully ADA-compliant school, run smoothly by Joni Wallace.

The Democratic party had obviously taken efforts to address accessibility concerns, at least for folks with mobility-related disabilities. Seating was plentiful, and even reserved for those needing it. I brought my walker so I could easily roll around the room convincing voters to re-align to my preferred candidate, Elizabeth Warren. I'm not aware of any accommodations at my caucus for folks with hearing or sight impairments, but there was ample time to request needed accommodations prior to the caucus. I'm still exhausted and need a day of rest, but it's nice to see the Iowa Democrats making concerted efforts to take into account the needs of disabled voters. I also spoke with many in my precinct who listed disability issues as a primary issue of concern, including a woman who works as a speech pathologist and caucused for Elizabeth Warren. Warren's commitment to improving IDEA funding for students with disabilities.

The Iowa caucus system isn't perfect, and it isn't accessible for everyone, but I, for one, was cheered to see the great number of improvements, from awareness of access needs, to planning ahead for those needs and the consciousness of voters about issues that matter to disabled Americans. I can only speak to my experience in my precinct, but in a news cycle that is questioning whether Iowa should be first, my experience shows the caucuses are capable of changing for the better.”

Valerie Wetlaufer was born and raised in Iowa. She is the winner of a Lambda Literary Award, and author of two collections of poetry. Valerie teaches in the English Department at Mount Mercy University.