Chapter 4: Developing the Civic Engagement of Students with Disabilities: Inclusive Civic Action Projects

Civic engagement is paramount to establish an inclusive, equitable, and representative democracy. But people with disabilities, especially people of color with disabilities, experience systemic barriers and challenges to existing pathways to participation (Ho et al., 2020). For example, just one in 10 elected officials have a disability and only 2.4% of elected officials with disabilities are people of color (Schur & Kruse, 2019). Moreover, 1.95 million voters with disabilities (11%) reported difficulty casting a ballot in the 2020 election with Black and Latinx voters with disabilities reporting greater wait times and difficulty levels at polling places than their White counterparts (Schur & Kruse, 2021). Although civic engagement is practiced through a wide range of actions beyond voting and running for office, these examples demonstrate how marginalized groups are underrepresented in civic life. And without opportunities for meaningful civic engagement in democratic society, people with disabilities and people of color with disabilities will continue to hold disproportionately little influence and power over their social, economic, and political progress (Ho et al., 2020).