The Ballad of Ballots

Marissa signs her campaign speech to the ACC student body during the campaign rally.

ACC Student Body Candidates, Voters Utilize Assistive Technology during Election Process.

Each day the Anne Carlsen Center works towards providing individuals with disabilities the tools to create a life of independence.

As part of that tradition of excellence, each November the students of the Anne Carlsen Center go to the polls and elect their student government.

The election process begins as each candidate creates his/her own campaign posters. The candidates take a variety of approaches in creating their posters – some focus on their own moral fiber, others stick to the issues at hand, and yet others demonstrate what they have done while serving on the Student Council during the previous year.

Election Rally

Through each student’s creativity, candidates are able to put their personal signature on an important component to the campaign process.

“Students do it all,” said Student Council Coordinator Simone Leigh. “Each student picks out their own music, writes their own speeches, and creates campaign posters.”

Each candidate selected their own introductory music – with some candidates choosing up-tempo marches, while other proceeding to the podium with contemporary tunes.

The majority of the candidates for student office are non-verbal, but through assistive technology, their messages to fellow students were given a voice … with hardware such as Intellikeys and software such as Ghost Reader working in conjunction with the candidates.

Students pushed the buttons on the Intellikeys board to initiate the Ghost Reader program, a digital voice that reads typed words out loud. A variety of male and female voices are produced by the Ghost Reader program, and each candidate is represented by a voice as unique as their introductory music.

One student, Marissa, who was running for the position of Student Body president, used sign language to deliver her campaign speech. Terry, her campaign manager, classmate and friend, held up cards displaying the words Marissa was signing.

Whatever the method each candidate decided to use, each candidate was given the time to let their personality shine, and each took advantage of the special moment.

Arianna uses an adaptive switch to make her choice in voting for candidates

Chris uses a touch screen computer to cast his vote for classmates running for student council office.

Voting for Leadership

Students attending the Anne Carlsen Center are each given a voice to decide who will represent them on the Student Council. Two booths were set up to serve students: one that utilized a touch screen, the other allowing students to use switches to make their selection.

“The whole process is set up to have students – as independently as possible – put in their vote,” said ACC Assistive Technology Director Mark Coppin. “The student is given the chance to give their own choice.”

Candidates for the open positions are placed on the screen randomly to avoid a scenario in which a first chronologically-placed candidate would be voted in simply due to where his or her picture is placed.

Student voters are given privacy in the booth, accompanied only by their caregiver who ensures the technology is properly recording their vote. The student selections were tabulated and the results were released the next morning to an eager student body.

Candidates voted into office carry out a number of important duties at the Anne Carlsen Center. The student officers are responsible for the fundraising that provides each student enrolled at the Center’s campus with a yearbook free of cost. They also participate in key meetings, providing a bridge from students to staff, helping ACC continue its tradition of empowerment and excellence.