Cheers and applause erupted through the AHRC ballroom as self-advocates celebrated the power of using their voices — to speak up, advocate for themselves, and vote at the September 24 Rights Rally.

Bright smiles and colorful posters filled the room with powerful statements such as “Our Rights, Our Vote, Our Voice,” and “What is Advocacy?”

This year’s Rights Rally focused on taking action ahead of the general election being held this November and included an information session with representatives from the Nassau County Board of Elections.

Michelle Rudoff, Steven Barsh, and Coleen Mackin, the self-advocate QA trainers organized and led the event, supported by Quality Assurance (QA) and Personal Outcome Measures (POM) departments.

By 10 a.m. the Brookville ballroom was filled with people supported, many holding posters and excited to get started.

For some, the event was a familiar experience. For others attending for the first time, staff handed out packets with self-advocacy fact sheets and helpful voting resources.

“Years ago, we used to prepare the entire event and now the self-advocates have taken over. Now we mainly offer support if they need help,” said Colleen Tapia, QA Administrator.

Noah Ackereizan, a self-advocate who receives services in Freeport, kicked off the event by singing the national anthem. Samantha Rodonis of the POMS team followed with a presentation covering voting rights and disability. During the interactive session, Samantha quizzed the audience about the basics of voting.

Hands flew up one by one with self-advocates expressing overwhelmingly that disability does not impact their right to vote.

Next, Michelle, Steven, and Coleen served as judges for the poster contest. Vladimir Noel proudly won with a poster listing his rights, values, interests, and goals.

As Nassau County Board of Elections officials introduced themselves and walked around the room, they shared additional resources on voting and offered to help people register.

Before inviting the audience to enjoy lunch, Coleen, Michelle, and Steven walked past every table to ensure people had their questions answered.

The annual Rights Rally and the self-advocates who organize it every year are passionate about empowering their community members to exercise their right to vote.

To learn more about accessible voting and find resources, visit https://elections.ny.gov/accessible-voting.