Welcome!

You may have arrived through http://traceymichol.wordpress.com or through other means.  You may recall that Tracey Michol was a delegate, campaigning to go to the National Convention in Denver in August.  She didn’t make it, but all is not lost.  The following is an excerpt from her Update! Page on the blog site mentioned above:

Voting in the Texas Primary was not the usual voting experience for Tracey Michol; to stand in line, wait your turn to receive a ballot, enter a booth, make your choices, those discussed and debated throughout the Primary.  The added feature and challenge was caucusing; learning that is if her vote was to translate into delegates, she had to caucus.

Now, this is not a criticism or a debate on the importance of caucusing, nor was it a problem for Tracey. Caucusing was a new experience, an unknown, but necessary.  Tracey’s sense of responsibility and curiosity led her to make last-minute changes on a business trip to fly back into DFW in time to scale rush hour traffic into Fort Worth and be at her assigned caucus location before the doors closed, and she could not enter.  

Who would have guessed that pounding on a table to gain the attention of all around her, who were deeply involved in what takes place at a caucus, to let them know that she was deaf and could not hear them, and the happenstance of a sign language interpreter who volunteer to interpret, and others who knew to gather pen and paper, would lead to Tracey being asked to be a delegate for Precinct 1296?  Who would have guessed?

Tracey learned about campaigning, because that’s what she had to do to be elected to represent her district, Senate District 10, at the state convention which took place in Austin in June.  She had to be creative in reaching delegates who did not know her and who communicated differently than she did.  This led to the video of her speech on You Tube and on this blog. 

Tracey didn’t make it to Denver; however, the most important lesson had already been learned.  It became clear early in the process that, although voting is a right, the system through we do so, was not ready for someone like her.  She met other people with disabilities or different abilities different from hers, yet they had much in common.  Whether they be mobile by wheel chair, or seeing by voice recognition software, Braille or walking cane, or hearing by hearing aid, cochlear implant or as a sign language user, or learned and processed information differently through a unique perspective of the world, they had one thing in common.  They were all under-represented and little understood, and the key to breaking out of that dilemma was for everyone to exercise their right to vote in 2008.

This new blog site has been set up and is a work in progress.  It is being updated moment by moment with information to help us understand the process of voting and to encourage everyone to vote.  Visit the different pages and leave your questions and comments.  

Exercising your right to vote can be an exciting and educational and an empowering experience.  It is also a responsibility that we have to one another.  Everyone’s vote counts.  See you at the polls!

Tracey and Friends

 

 

Many Thanks!

Many thanks to the participants and supporters of the September 22nd voting workshop, “Experience the Experience of Voting,” held in Fort Worth, Texas at the Arborlawn United Methodist Church.  We have been encouraged to do it again next year, and we will.

Many thanks to the elected officials and candidates and to their representatives and staff for making this a meaningful experience for all.  With the challenges of Hurricane Ike when it travelled through Texas and the issues with our nation’s economy, a few were not able to attend, but communicated their support.  In alphabetical order:

• Many thanks to Dan Barrett, Texas State Representative for District 97, for his participation and for bringing his staff and sign language interpreter. 

• Many thanks to Kim Brimer, Texas State Senator for District 10, for his support and consideration and that of his staff.

• Many thanks to Lon Burnam, Texas State Representative for District 90, for his support and consideration.

• Many thanks to Senator John Cornyn for his support and consideration and wish him well as the United States Senate decides what is best for us and our economy.

• Many thanks to Judge Don Cosby of the 67th District Court for his support and participation after learning about our workshop from a friend.

• Many thanks to Wendy Davis, candidate for Texas State Senate District 10, for sending her representative due to an unexpected scheduling conflict.

• Many thanks to Congressman Michael T. McCaul for his consideration and support and wish him well as the United States House of Representatives decides what is best for us and our economy.

• Many thanks to Rick Noriega, Texas State Representative and candidate for the United States Senate, for his support and for sending his representative to participate with us.

• Many thanks to Dr. Mark Shelton, candidate for Texas State Representative for District 97, for his and his staff’s support and participation.

• Many thanks to Randy Turner, candidate for Judge for the 17th District Court, for his participation in our workshop.

• Many thanks to Melody Wilkinson, candidate for Judge for the 17th District Court, for changing her flight arrangements to participate in our event.

• Many thanks to Michael Williams, Texas Railroad Commissioner, for his and his staff’s support and consideration.

To learn more about each elected official and candidate, visit the Speaker Bios page on this blog site. 

And, many thanks to the organizations and supporters who participated in the table exhibits and were instrumental in spreading the word:  Disabled American Veterans Blue Bonnet Ch-20, Deaf Action Center, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Texas Association of the Deaf, My Possibilities, Easter Seals of North Texas, Deaf Inclusion Inc, Fort Worth Reach, Deafnetwork.com, Expanco Inc, Texas DARS Blind Services; to Coalition for Texans with Disabilities for conducting the training, to the local businesses and Golden Corral for providing the refreshments, and to Arborlawn United Methodist Church for providing the facility. Visit the links under Blogroll to learn more about the nonprofit organizations.

Many thanks to Shelley J. Hardell, Seleena Sanchez, Kara Pepin, Elizabeth Scheppler, and Gwenn Burud for volunteering their services as sign language interpreters throughout the workshop.