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Election 2020: DCMP Accessible Media, Teaching Ideas, and Resources on Elections and Voting

Whether you're focused on national, state, or local elections, DCMP has accessible resources to support your classroom. These include dozens of described and captioned videos for all grade levels. We also have compiled sources of information concerning the "Help America Vote Act" and other resources of special interest to voters who are blind or deaf.

Accessible Media

Rectangle with two boxes. One labeled, "Yes," has a check mark and the other labeled, "No" is empty. American flag backdrop. Caption. Voting is a powerful right and important responsibility.

The green Statue of Liberty seen from below against a bright sky. Caption. Her lamp held high as a welcoming light of hope.

Televised interview shows a boy looking towards camera with a microphone held up in front of him. Title bar below reads, "What is voting?" Caption. Put a check who they want to vote.

Barack Obama wearing black winter coat. Caption. I stand before you today to announce my candidacy.

Michelle Obama stands at a podium at a political rally. People hold campaign signs behind her. Caption. And Barack says that our greatest challenge.

Teenage girl smiles at camera with a superimposed news background and Presidential crest. Behind her, a screen shows a woman holding a young Barack Obama. Caption. We'd like to share it with you.

1880's Tally Sheet from a Colorado election. Caption. Colorado had given women the right to vote!

2 people seated at a shared desk covered in papers. They are both holding phone receivers up to their ears. Caption. Coordinating recovery efforts and providing resistance.

Man wearing a police officer's uniform stands behind a podium, speaking to an audience of officers. Caption. And also for the protection of their rights.

Young man and woman stand on a T, V set staged to look like a schoolyard. The man holds up a stack of posters. Caption. When we're fully informed, we make better decisions.

White duck behind a podium raises its wings up in front of a crowd at a political rally. Caption. Duck was officially in charge.

Cartoon white duck at a decorated podium raises its wings up as if wringing its hands, hats flying in the air. Spanish caption. Los votantes habían decidido.

Closeup on lined yellow paper and person's hand holding a writing instrument. Caption. Voting in this country is a 2 step process.

Low shot of several men in American revolutionary-era clothing walking in a group with rifles at their side. Caption. This led to protests.

Black and white photo of a man in uniform grabbing another individual by the arm and raising a hand to hit them. Caption. Fannie Lou as narrator. We have to realize just how grave the problem is.

Wide shot of the inside of the U, S Senate chamber taken from the second floor looking down, showing senators seated at desks arranged in a half moon formation. Caption. What they saw as a federal abuse of power.

Cartoon of a woman holding a stack of history books smiles down at a child who looks back with arms shrugging up to the side. Caption. No girl president? Ever? Grace asked.

Crowds of people fill the front of the Capitol building, as people exit through the front doors. Caption. And in 2000, the presidency of the United States.

Black and white photo of Nixon standing behind a decorated podium and speaking into the microphone. Caption. To campaign in every state, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Cartoon of a man and woman standing behind a podium with the presidential crest, red and blue balloons dropping from the ceiling. Caption. If the President dies or is unable to hold office.

Color illustration. Girl dressed in blue with red ringlets, holding a doll. Caption. When Esther was 8, she watched her mother.

Group of Black people carrying signs, march together with the U, S Capitol building in the distant background. Caption. To advance an anti-poverty agenda.

Cartoon of a girl holding a soccer ball and hair dryer with toys scattered on floor. Caption. A president has to lead by example.

Closeup of Barack Obama speaking. Caption. And yet I discovered that, for all my father's education.

Cartoon closeup on an iron archway that reads Dog Farm. At the center is a side view of a black dog, chin raised, tail curling back. Caption. Sound of light jazz music.

Male politician walks on to a stage with a podium, shaking hands with a man in a business suit. A crowd of people in the audience hold up Bush signs. Caption. Because parties organize broad coalitions of people to recruit.

Barack Obama speaking at a podium with presidential seal. Caption. And now, I'm very proud to sign the bill.

Aerial shot of Hillary Clinton speaking on stage in front of a crowd of people, her image projected on 2 jumbotron screens. Caption. As being affected by money in politics.

Wide side angle exterior view of the U, S Capitol building, showing the entrance and dome. Caption. And Congress was under pressure to get it moving again.

Cartoon of a street lined with almost identical white multi-story homes and trees with orange leaves. A gray dog wearing a blue dress, yellow hat, and a brown satchel walks away down the street.

Sketch of cats from a side view. They're wearing colonial style soldier hats and coats while holding bayonets on their shoulders. Caption. Meanwhile, the Red-Cats were on their way.

Black and white photo of a woman in a plaid cape talking into a microphone. A man films her from behind. Another man smiles with one hand raised in the background. Caption. This often met criticism, but she didn't back down.

Color illustration. Taft, a politician wearing a top hat and 3-piece suit, walks up to a stage at a rally. Caption. Someone once threw a cabbage at William Howard Taft.

Painting of a senior Benjamin Franklin reading. Caption. But the great American diplomat, 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin.

Painting of a group of colonial-era American politicians standing and gathered around a desk. In the background, several bystanders are seated in chairs looking towards them.

Wide exterior shot of the U, S Supreme Court during the daytime. Caption. The justices make fundamental policy decisions.

Closeup on Ronald Reagan speaking to camera in a televised presidential message. Caption. Are you entitled to the fruits of your own labor?

Black and white photo of people planting in a park. Caption. He wanted to provide those who could work.

Person seated in a dark television studio with several monitors on the wall in front of them. Caption. At its best, the American media aids the democratic process.

A large crowd of people, some waving tiny American flags, sitting in rows inside a building. Caption. Every year, thousands apply for United States citizenship.

Sign that reads, "5 County Legislator. Twenty sixth district. 4 year term. Vote for any one," on the left. On the right, it reads, "6 Mayor. Vote for any one." Yellow text on screen reads, "Vote." Caption. Or who will lead our city or state.

Titles With Teacher Guides:

America’s Symbols; Barack Obama; Barack Obama: The Story of Our 44th President; Bloomers to Ballot; Duck for President; Exploring Our Nation: How to Become a President of the United States; Grace for President; I Could Do That: Ester Morris Gets Women the Vote; Madam President; My Senator and Me: A Dog’s-eye View of Washington, D.C.; Pups of Liberty; So You Want to be President; We are Citizens; We Vote

Educator Resources

A Political Profile of Persons With Disabilities: Pew Research Center

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/09/22/a-political-profile-of-disabled-americans/
The potential of the disabled as a voting bloc has attracted attention from political campaigns. Overall, Americans with disabilities have thought about the upcoming election and care about who wins at rates similar to Americans without disabilities. However, on the whole, those with disabilities are less likely to turn out to vote on Election Day, as they face a number of obstacles to voting.

Help America Vote - What is HAVA?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4fmI0kqVrQ&feature=plcp
This captioned YouTube video from Arkansas introduces the viewer to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. Your state may have similar material.

The Blind Voter Experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_yTfEO2Kz8
The 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was designed to enable voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently, by requiring that all polling places have at least one accessible voting system. In this video by the National Federation of the Blind, there are demonstrations as to how to handle different scenarios on election day if you're blind.

The Blind and Visually Impaired Voter's Guide [DOC]

http://dcmp.co/blind_voters
This paper from the National Federation of the Blind overviews HAVA, why blind Americans should vote, how to register to vote, and resources to help identify polling place locations, voting procedures, and more.

Deaf Voter Rights: Accessible Polling Places

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EEMAClFtCc
Captioned and in American Sign Language, this ACLU YouTube video overviews the ways that all polling places must be physically accessible for people with disabilities. Adds that any person can bring almost anyone into the voting booth except their employer, and that anyone can always ask for help from the poll workers.

Why Should Deaf People Vote?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh1Vj-EnXRc
This signed and captioned video by "Rooted In Rights" encourages deaf persons to vote and provides reasons why voting is crucial for such persons.

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