The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writers:
Arizonans deserve a better system to make their voices heard at our state Legislature.
Over the past year, the Arizona Legislature used the COVID-19 pandemic as a means of restricting the public’s voice even more, dramatically limiting citizens’ participation in the democratic process.
Since the pandemic began, the Senate and House lobbies have restricted access for walk-in visitors, who now must set up an appointment with their representative or senator in advance. It’s a good thing safeguards are in place to keep the virus away. But it’s added yet another barrier in a process that already has significant roadblocks for people with disabilities.
The primary way for Arizona citizens to provide input on proposed bills is through the Legislature’s Request to Speak system, which allows people to state their positions, in person or in writing, on bills under consideration by members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Even in normal times, registering for the RTS system is an archaic process. It requires everyone, including people with disabilities, to physically travel to the state Capitol in Phoenix — or to one kiosk in a Tucson government building — to manually complete the registration on a computer terminal. Right now, the system cannot be completed online.
Throughout 2020, the disability community and numerous other civic groups asked for the ability to register online to avoid more risk of getting COVID-19, for even if members of our community could physically attend a committee hearing, it would be dangerous to do so because of the potential health impacts of the pandemic. Those requests have gone unheeded.
Officially, the RTS system provides no alternative to the in-person procedure. A temporary patchwork solution is to call the House sergeant-at-arms, and a House staffer will be assigned to physically register for the person who cannot travel. But in a time of widespread identity fraud, few people trust a stranger with their personal information. This is not a reasonable accommodation.
One of us had a challenging personal experience registering for RTS that demonstrates its current inadequacy. Jason visited the Capitol in early 2020 to attend a House Judiciary Committee hearing. He uses a wheelchair and special software to type. He wanted to register on the RTS system to voice his opinion on a particular bill. There was only one accessible kiosk to accommodate his chair at the time — and it could not interface with his personal software. If it were not for his wife being there to assist with typing, he would have been unable to register.
If registration could be fully completed online, he would have been able to use equipment at home to accommodate his needs and complete the process independently.
More than two dozen bills have already been introduced that directly relate to the disability community. The RTS system must be updated immediately to allow residents to register online and utilize it from any corner of the state. If these changes are not made now, during the most isolating and politically unstable time in recent history, then when? There is no excuse, technological or otherwise, for further inaction.
As representatives of the statewide disability community and on behalf of all Arizonans, we call upon the Arizona Legislature to immediately address the need for improvements to the RTS system so every person in this state can truly be a participant in the political process we all cherish.
Despite civil unrest and pandemic concerns, Arizonans with disabilities still need access to the representative system and the process of crafting and providing feedback on proposed laws that impact their daily lives.
