Voting Up Among People With Disabilities

Disability Scoop's Michelle Diament, who you can always count on for the most important news about disabilities, reports that "People With Disabilities Voting In Record Numbers." According to a new study, more people with disabilities voted in the 2008 presidential election than ever before. The 14.7 million voters in 2008 represent a 34 percent increase over 2000.

In 2008, 64 percent of people without disabilities voted, just a bit above the 57 percent of people with disabilities. When you look at people with disabilities as a minority group, the 14.7 million voters compares favorably with African Americans (15.9 million voters) and Hispanics (9.7 million voters.)

If you have any doubt that people with disabilities are a political power, consider this: In an election that gave us our first African American president, almost as many people with disabilities voted as African Americans.