Project Vote Kicks Off

Self-advocates throughout Ohio gathered today to kick-off a Project Vote workshop hosted by Ohio Legal Rights Service (LRS). The two-day, interactive training is designed by people with cognitive disabilities to teach people with disabilities about their voting rights and to empower them to become Project Vote trainers.

Scott Weikle, self advocate from Richland County, who is participating in the training said, "This training is great and has been an eye-opener for me. The information I learned will help me help others when I train them about the voting process." Weikle said he looks forward to holding Project Vote training in his county.

The training is conducted by Tia Nelis, a national leader in the self-advocacy movement, Nancy Ward, a founding member of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) and Ruby Moore, executive director of the Georgia protection and advocacy (P&A) system.

LRS received a Project Vote grant to work with People First of Ohio, the Ohio Disability Vote Coalition and the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council's Partners in Policymaking. LRS is pleased to partner with self-advocates to educate people with disabilities about their voting rights. Ohio is one of three states selected to participate in Project Vote in 2010.

For more information about voting, see the Voting section.