Fun, Food, Homecoming, and an Opportunity to Register to Vote

For Immediate Release!

October 1, 2008

Media Contact: Stephen Charles Baldwin, Texas Association of the
Deaf, [email protected]
or Nathaniel Klugman, Coalition for Texans with Disabilities,
512-478-3366.

Fun, Food, Homecoming, and an Opportunity to Register to Vote in the
2008 National Elections: All during the Pre-Game Event at Texas School
for the Deaf (TSD)!

Alumni, faculty, students, parents and guests can register to vote in
the 2008 elections during the pre-game homecoming event at Texas
School for the Deaf on October 4th. The Texas Association of the Deaf
will host the registration drive in their booth from 10:00 am to 4:30
pm before the anticipated game begins. “Voting is necessary for a
community to progress,” said Stephen Charles Baldwin, President of
Texas Association of the Deaf based in Austin. “When I spoke with
Tracey Michol about her workshop in Fort Worth and the training
conducted throughout Texas by the Coalition for Texans with
Disabilities and Advocacy, Inc., I felt we needed to be involved.”

According to the Coalition for Texans with Disabilities, less than
34% of voting aged people with disabilities voted in the last
presidential election compared to 51% of the able bodied population.
“When Tracey told us about the invitation from Texas Association of
the Deaf, we jumped at the opportunity,” said Dennis Borel,
Executive Director of Coalition for Texans with Disabilities based in
Austin. “We are working with Advocacy Inc. conducting workshops for
people with disabilities around the state. We are impressed with the
interest, the concern and the expected attendance. We are hoping this
translates into votes in November.”

The deadline to register to vote is October 6. Anyone who does not
register to vote by this deadline will not be allowed to vote in this
historic National Election on November 4. Historic, not only because
of the candidates running for President, but also because the
communities of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, disabilities and special needs
have an opportunity to make a difference. “This is an opportune time
to focus more on abilities,” said Regina Blye, Executive Director of
the Statewide Independent Living Council based in Austin. “When we
focus on abilities, it is easier for us to see how we and others can
make a difference in our communities.”

Cheryl Reese the Volunteer Coordinator with Travis County Voter
Registration Division in Austin, Texas and a group of volunteers will
be on hand to register people to vote. “When Tracey called us and
explained what she needed, we quickly realized the opportunity to
assist individuals needing to register before the October 6th
deadline, said Reese. “The expected attendance is well over 2000 for
this event. There will be plenty of potential voters who may not have
had a chance to make necessary changes to their voter registration
card or didn’t know where to go to register. Texas has 254 counties,
and we are all trying to do our part. Travis County Voter Registration
in Austin Texas, Nelda Wells Spears, Voter Registrar, is glad to lend
our support and assist in this registration effort.”

Tracey Michol’s experience as a delegate to the Democratic
Convention led to her organizing a voting workshop in Fort Worth,
Texas, a blog site at http://yourvotecounts.wordpress.com
and receiving an invitation to register people to vote in the Texas
Association of the Deaf booth during the pre-game event at the Texas
School for the Deaf Homecoming. Attendees can practice using the
voting machine used in Texas, learn about voting rights and voting
options, and enjoy good food and an exciting game, all on a Saturday
with friends and family. Be sure to bring your Texas or personal ID to
confirm your name, date of birth and address.

A special thanks to Texas School for the Deaf Superintendent Claire
Bugen for her support and participation. Superintendent Bugen is
pleased to be a part of this civic event and to make the TSD
interpreters available for deaf and hearing voters as they visit and
enjoy the festivities of homecoming at TSD. Many thanks to
Superintendent Bugen for making this opportunity possible.

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