#CripTheVoteStories with Hamza Jaka (01:37)

On Tuesday, September 27, 2016, National Voter Registration Day, our friends at #CripTheVote hosted a Twitter chat on Storytelling and Voting with Rooted in Rights as a Guest Host. Rooted in Rights and the organizers of #CripTheVote created a series of short videos featuring the disability community.

Video visual descriptions
Each video begins with the same graphic as follows: Logo of #CripTheVoteStories with the text of the hashtag in rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue purple and yellow) is placed at the top of every video player, and remains there during the video. During a music jingle, a graphic of a box with four quadrants with pictures of 1) the international symbol of access, a wheelchair sign, 2) Two hands signing, 3) A person using a white cane and 3) An image of a person’s brain. The box with four quadrants turns into a voting box with grey check that swipes across. An orange title screen draws in from both sides with the name of the person, and their city. Following each video, the music jingle plays again with the @RootedinRights Twitter handle as a title screen.

Hamza Jaka | Berkeley, CA (@HamzaAJaka) transcript:
“I first was old enough to vote in a presidential year in 2012. That meant the world to me. You know, for years before becoming a college student I had been involved in local politics just by nature of my disability advocacy and and I’ve always enjoyed meeting with political leaders, local leaders too, and talking about what it was I experienced as a disabled person and one thing that I always heard was bring your experiences to the poll, help inform our priorities by voting. I’m a big believer in the mantra of Justin Dart which is, “Vote as if your life depends on it because it does,” You know, I think as disabled voters and as disabled people, in general, we’re told your opinions don’t matter you’re powerless, but one of the ways, we can exert our power is by showing up to the polls and voting for issues that we believe in and engaging with politics on whatever level we’re able, and feel comfortable. Local elections especially are really really important in terms of helping your city be a better place. You know what issues matter to you so go out there and make your voice heard and known that on all levels it matters, and I hope to see you #CripTheVote this fall.”