DATE: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
LOCATION: Online via Zoom Webinar
COST: Free to attend
ACCESSIBILITY: Zoom’s built-in captioning will be available throughout the webinar, and instructions provided at the beginning of the program. ASL interpretation provided upon advance request by Friday, 9/11/26. Please indicate any additional accommodation needs when completing the registration form.
About the Webinar
People with disabilities have fought for decades to secure greater access to voter registration, polling places, voting systems, absentee and mail-in voting, voter assistance, and other parts of the electoral process. Those efforts have resulted in important legal protections and significant progress, but barriers to full and equal participation remain.
We Count: Disability Voting Rights in Western Pennsylvania will bring together disability advocates, voting rights leaders, and public-sector representatives for a two-hour online program exploring the history, current challenges, and future of disability voting rights.
The webinar will include:
- A brief presentation on the history of disability voting rights advocacy, including the role of Western Pennsylvania advocates in expanding voter access
- A keynote address examining current disability voting rights, policy and enforcement challenges, and opportunities for action
- A moderated panel discussion exploring barriers affecting voters with disabilities, including polling place accessibility, transportation, institutional voting, mail-in voting, ballot curing, voter assistance, and differences in implementation among counties
- Practical information about voter rights, responding to accessibility problems, and becoming involved in efforts to strengthen voting access
The program is intended for people with disabilities, advocates, service providers, nonprofit and community organizations, public officials, and anyone interested in disability rights, voting access, and civic participation.
This webinar is made possible through funding from the Three Rivers Community Foundation.
Our Speakers
Keynote
Tracy C. Baton, LCSW (she/her), Director, Indivisible Pittsburgh
Tracy is a Black, LGBTQ nana who grew up in the Hill District and Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. As Director of Indivisible Pittsburgh and Women’s March Pittsburgh, she leads teams that have mobilized more than 100,000 people in peaceful social protests. Her leadership extends to several political and community organizations; she currently serves on the boards of the Steel City Stonewall Democrats, the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, and the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee, and is the new vice-chair of voter outreach for the PA Dems. Her personal history includes navigating complex systems related to disabilities for herself, her family, and her community.
Tracy left Pittsburgh to study history and anthropology in the US and abroad. Her research on the history of women’s health and caregiving took her to rural South Africa before returning home to Pittsburgh. A psychotherapist, community organizer, and supervising clinical social worker, Tracy is a multidisciplinary scholar and an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned both a BA and an MSW. She also holds a Master’s in Medical Anthropology and a Master’s in African History from the University of Florida. Her academic and professional excellence has been recognized with awards including the William J. Fulbright (IIE) Fellowship and two “Best of Pittsburgh” awards for community organizing and activism.
Tracy’s career is defined by a commitment to defending democracy and fostering community. Passionate about justice, the environment, and voter engagement, she enjoys growing her own food and repurposing. She is the proud mother of three Pittsburgh girls and the nana of two grandchildren.
Panel Moderator
Jennifer Garman, CEO, Disability Rights Pennsylvania
Jennifer is the CEO of Disability Rights Pennsylvania. She has nearly 20 years of experience in disability advocacy. She began her career at DRP as a staff attorney and most recently served for 9 years as the Director of Government Affairs, where she spearheaded policy initiatives that significantly improved independence and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Her leadership has been marked by a commitment to empowering individuals and communities, fostering collaboration, and driving impactful change. Previously, Jennifer was the Project Director for the Protection and Advocacy of Beneficiaries of Social Security Project, addressing both individual and systemic barriers to employment for people with disabilities and the duties of employers under the ADA. Jennifer received her J.D. from Widener University School of Law and her B.A. from Pennsylvania State University.
Panelists
Dr. Josie Badger, Executive Director, Governor’s Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities
Dr. Josie Badger DHCE, CRC is the Executive Director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a nationally recognized disability advocate, speaker, and systems-change leader. As a person with a disability and foster and adoptive parent of children with disabilities, she brings both lived and professional experience to her work advancing healthcare access, employment, and disability policy at the state and national levels.
Dr. Badger is the founder of J Badger Consulting Inc. and PEACOCK, and has led numerous statewide and national initiatives focused on leadership development, systems advocacy, and equitable access for people with disabilities. She holds degrees from Geneva College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne University, and was crowned Ms. Wheelchair America in 2012.
Mallory Hudson, Disability Program Director, Keystone Progress Education Fund
Mallory Hudson is the Disability Justice Program Director at Keystone Progress Education Fund. Mallory is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied psychology, studio arts, social work, and public health.
Over the last decade, Mallory has worked in the disability community across a wide range of settings including health care, research, community mental health, and home and community-based services.
Emma Shoucair, Deputy Policy Director, Pennsylvania Department of State
An attorney by training, Emma is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan Law School (Go Blue!). She completed two federal clerkships after graduation and then worked in election litigation for several years before joining the Pennsylvania Department of State as Deputy Policy Director for Voting and Elections. Emma is a native of Fox Chapel and currently resides in Brookline. And, she was a Classics major in college and would love to discuss The Odyssey with you.
Emcee and Opening Disability Voting History Presentation
Cindy Leonard, Executive Director, Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium
Cindy Leonard has been the Executive Director for the Consortium since January 2023 and prior to that served as the digital communications manager since 2015. Cindy has devoted over 20 years working in and with nonprofit organizations, and has served on numerous boards and committees, and in various volunteer capacities. Cindy holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Education in Instructional Design, all from Seton Hill University.
Registration
We Count: Disability Voting Rights in Western Pennsylvania is free to attend, but advance registration is required.
Registered participants will receive information about joining the webinar prior to the event.
Questions about the program or accommodations may be directed to info@wpdhac.org.
