Project Ready’s Voting Advocacy for People with developmental disabilities
Breaking Barriers, Building Inclusion: Ensuring Voting Rights for All
About Us
At ProjectReady, we are committed to ensuring that every voice in the disability community is heard, especially in the electoral process. Our program is designed to empower individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families, primarily in the Asian American immigrant community, to actively participate in voting. Through education, advocacy, and community outreach, we help break down barriers to voting—whether cultural, linguistic, or related to disability—and equip our members with the knowledge and resources they need to make their voices count in local, state, and national elections.
Our partnership with AAPD RevUp
REV UP stands for “Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power!”
The REV UP Voting Campaign builds the power of the disability vote through a national network of coalitions and organizations.
REV UP’s mission is to build the power of the disability vote through increasing civic engagement in the disability community and improving the accessibility of elections. Learn about REV UP’s 2024 Goals.
ProjectReady and AAPD share the same goal of empowering individuals with developmental disabilities through voter education and participation.
The event aimed at educating individuals with disabilities about their voting rights and the electoral process.
Date: Oct 2nd, 2025
On October 2, 2025, to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and promote the unique mooncake culture of the Chinese community, Project Ready held its first Mid-Autumn Independent Living Skills Training in Queens.
Teens with special needs learned to make snow-skin mooncakes — from wrapping the filling, molding, to folding boxes. Everyone worked together, creating mooncakes filled with teamwork and joy.
Each participant packed two handmade mooncakes to bring home and shared with their families. Besides the mooncake making, they also learned the basics of Disability Voting Rights, civic engagement and inclusion.
Disabled voters are an essential part of every community! During Disability Voting Rights Week, let’s learn, plan, and take action to ensure everyone has equal access to the ballot.
Date: Sep 8th-12th, 2025
Every Vote Matters: Local politics shape our daily lives—healthcare, transportation, housing, education, public safety, and more.
Be a Confident Voter: Make a plan! Check your voter registration, learn election dates and deadlines, choose how and when to vote, and prepare for your access needs.
Know Your Rights: You have the right to vote privately and independently, in a way that is accessible to you, and to receive assistance from a person you trust (according to state laws).
Vote for an Accessible Future: Together, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society by making our voices heard at the ballot box.
The event aimed at educating individuals with disabilities about their voting rights and the electoral process.
Date: Aug 28th, 2025
On August 28, 2025, Project Ready’s Independent Living Training Camp was held once again in Brooklyn. During the event, our youth with disabilities had the opportunity to learn hands-on skills by making sushi and crafting handmade pendants. In addition, they also explored and celebrated Disability Voting Rights.
Through these engaging activities, participants not only strengthened their independent living skills but also deepened their awareness of self-advocacy and civic participation.
The event aimed at educating individuals with disabilities about their voting rights and the electoral process.
Date: Aug 16th, 2025
On August 16, 2025, Project Ready was honored to once again be invited to participate in the annual Special Families Picnic hosted by the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) at the Queens Botanical Garden. This heartwarming gathering brought together many special needs families and service organizations, creating a space for sharing experiences, exchanging resources, and working collectively to better support children with developmental disabilities.
At the event, Project Ready hosted a booth to share community resources, including information about our programs, anti-discrimination educational materials, and resources on voting rights for individuals with developmental disabilities.
“You Can Vote Too!” Voter Education Sessions
Detail sessions aimed at correcting common misconceptions about voting involvement, educating individuals with disabilities about their voting rights and the electoral process.
Our next education session:
Date: Oct 3 & 4th, 2024
Location: Amerasia Bank Community Center
Agenda:
The session aims to reach over 100 individuals with disabilities and family members/caregivers.
Volunteer Training Workshops:
Outline workshops designed to train volunteers in assisting disabled voters during elections.
Since 2024 is the presidential election year, we will expand our efforts in recruiting and training more voting volunteers. Leveraging our experience, we will conduct thorough follow-ups with not only individuals with developmental disabilities, but also their family members, caregivers, and friends. Our focus will be on voter registration, canvassing, phone-banking.
Online Voting Support
In response to increased online voting options, we will launch a Technology Assistance Program to help individuals with disabilities navigate the online voter registration and voting process. Step-by-step video tutorials and one-on-one tech support will be offered to ensure accessibility for all.
Nonpartisan Candidate Meet-Up
We hosted a meet-up event where community members had the opportunity to interact with candidates running for local office. Individuals with disabilities and their families raised concerns directly with candidates, ensuring that the voice of our community was heard. The event was a great success, fostering meaningful dialogue about disability rights and policies.
Social Media Campaign
To reach a wider audience, we created nonpartisan digital content—flyers, videos, and social media posts—advocating for voting rights for individuals with disabilities.
Throughout the phase of the project, we will be a constant presence in social media platforms to spread awareness about voting with a disability and encouraging participation in elections.
📢 Stay tuned for upcoming events and advocacy campaigns!
Follow us on Instagram, visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter.
For more information on how to get involved, please see below or email us at contact@projectready.org.
There are many ways to get involved.
