Disability Rights Florida Blog (voting_with_a_disability)
Olmstead Voices: Stories of Choice and Community
Monday, October 26, 2026
Throughout September, Disability Rights Florida shared Olmstead Voices: Stories of Choice and Community, a series featuring people with disabilities talking about what community living means in their own lives. The people who participated in Olmstead Voices had very different experiences with disability, services, and support. What connected their stories was not one particular service or one definition of independence. It was the ability to have a say in their own lives and to take part in the communities around them.
The Florida Accessible Voting Field Guide: Rights, Access, and Planning Ahead
Thursday, October 01, 2026
Voting access is about more than getting through the door. For people with disabilities, access can affect the entire voting experience. That includes finding reliable election information, getting to and entering a voting location, communicating with election workers, using voting equipment, receiving assistance, and casting a ballot with privacy and independence.
Disability and Independence: Why Needing Support Does Not Mean Losing Independence
Friday, September 25, 2026
Most people rely on other people, services, systems, and technology every day. We use GPS to find our way, transportation to get where we need to go, doctors for health care, coworkers to get a job done, and family or friends for help when we need it. We rarely treat those kinds of support as proof that someone is not independent. But disability-related support is often viewed differently. A person may use personal assistance, accessible transportation, assistive technology, communication support, benefits counseling, or help with daily tasks and still be treated as though receiving support means having less independence.
Disability Self-Advocacy: How to Get the Support You Need for Community Living
Friday, September 11, 2026
For many people with disabilities, services and supports can make everyday life possible. But having a service on paper does not always mean it is meeting your needs in real life. Transportation may be unreliable. Personal assistance may not be available at the times you need it. A support plan may no longer reflect your goals, routines, or priorities. That is where self-advocacy begins. Start by asking yourself a simple question: Are the supports I receive helping me live the life I want?
When the Fire Alarm Goes Off: Hotel Fire Safety for Travelers with Disabilities
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Common fire-safety advice often tells people not to use elevators during a fire. People who cannot use the stairs may also have been told to wait in a stairwell for firefighters to help them evacuate. Both ideas have some basis in fire and building safety rules, but neither one is a universal instruction that applies to every building. The safest response depends on the building, the type of emergency, the evacuation features available, and the building's emergency plan. For people with disabilities, that makes learning about emergency evacuation before an alarm sounds especially important.
Save Without Putting Medicaid at Risk: A Guide to Florida’s ABLE Account
Friday, August 14, 2026
Saving for an emergency, reliable transportation, a place to live, or disability-related equipment should not force someone to choose between financial security and essential health coverage. However, some public-benefit programs limit the amount of money and property a person can own. An “Achieving a Better Life Experience,” or ABLE account, offers another option. For many eligible people with disabilities, an ABLE account can provide a way to save money while maintaining important benefits such as Medicaid and SSI.
Before the Storm Has a Name: Hurricane Preparedness for Floridians with Disabilities
Friday, July 17, 2026
Every Florida hurricane guide tells you the same things. Water. Batteries. Canned food. Gas in the car. Know your evacuation route. None of it is wrong. It is just written for a household that can drive itself out, stand in a shelter line, sleep on a cot, and go days without power without a medical crisis. For many Floridians with disabilities, preparing for a hurricane requires more than a standard emergency checklist.
Before You Go: How to Check Accessibility at Florida Beaches, Parks, and Events
Friday, May 15, 2026
Planning a beach day, park visit, or festival in Florida can already feel like a full-time job. There's the weather, the parking, the snacks, the traffic, the sunscreen, the backup sunscreen, and the eternal mystery of why every outdoor event somehow has one shaded table for 4,000 people. For people with disabilities and their families, there's another layer: will the place actually be accessible when you get there?
Florida HB 991 Explained: What the New Law Means for Voters with Disabilities
Thursday, April 30, 2026
HB 991 adds new documentation and verification requirements to Florida’s voter registration system. Supporters describe the law as a way to strengthen election security. Disability rights advocates and voting access advocates have raised concerns about what happens when new administrative requirements are layered onto a system that already creates barriers for many voters.
The ADA Title II Countdown: Is Your Agency Ready for the 2026 Compliance Deadline?
Friday, April 10, 2026
There was a major milestone reached on April 24, 2024. The DOJ officially updated Title II of the ADA, and for the first time, referenced a specific and clear technical standard. However, if you’re one of the many state and local entities covered under Title II, things probably feel anything but specific and clear. While the standard is clear, the road to compliance is complex and requires strategic planning. There is a looming deadline. The ADA Title II countdown is underway. Is your agency ready for the 2026 compliance deadline?
Accessible Telehealth: A Step-by-Step Guide for Virtual Visits
Friday, March 27, 2026
Telehealth can be a great option. It can save time, reduce transportation barriers, and make it easier to keep up with care. But telehealth only works when you can actually use it. This post is a practical self-advocacy guide for accessible telehealth. You will get a simple plan for what to do before, during, and after a virtual visit, plus scripts you can copy and paste. You can use these steps for yourself or as an advocate supporting someone else.
Self-Advocacy in AI-Driven Decisions: When an Algorithm Says “No”
Friday, March 13, 2026
Technology can speed up paperwork. But it can also create barriers. If the data going in is incomplete or wrong, the decision can be wrong. This blog is a practical guide to self-advocacy when AI or automated systems may be involved in healthcare decisions. You will learn what these tools are, what questions to ask, how to request a real review by a qualified person, and how to document what happened so you can follow up effectively.
Why Access Is Uneven Across Florida: Understanding Regional Differences in Services
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Two people can need the same support and get two different realities in Florida. One person finds an appointment in a few weeks. Another is told to try again next month. One student gets school supports that show up consistently. Another student is waiting for staffing, waiting for paperwork, or waiting for a provider that is not nearby. When this happens, people often blame themselves first. They assume they asked the wrong way, called the wrong people, or missed the “right” step. But uneven access is usually not a personal problem. It’s a systems problem. This blog explains what uneven access looks like, why it happens, and why consistent statewide solutions matter.
When the System Says “No”: How Appeals Work and Why They Matter
Friday, February 13, 2026
A denial can feel like a door shutting. But in many systems, it is not the end of the story. It is the point where the process becomes clearer: there is a decision, there is a reason, and there is usually a path to ask for a second look. This post explains what denials often mean, what an appeal is, and the next steps you can take without having to become a full-time expert in paperwork.
Disability Rights Are Not Special Treatment: Clearing Up a Common Misunderstanding
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Disability rights and accommodations exist to remove barriers so people can participate fully, not to give anyone an advantage. It is common to hear disability rights or accommodations described as special treatment. This idea often comes up in conversations about fairness and equal expectations. To understand why accommodations are not special treatment, it helps to first look at the difference between treating everyone the same and ensuring everyone can participate.