Three people wearing masks at a rally holding a sign with the phrase "Interdependence is survival. Naomi Ortiz" and "Disability Justice is Racial Justice is Environmental Justice."

Photo by Dessa Cosma: Three people at a rally look at the camera while holding a sign with the phrase “Interdependence is survival. Naomi Ortiz” and “Disability Justice is Racial Justice is Environmental Justice.” One person has their fist in the air.

What’s in The A-Z of Effective, Inclusive Campaigns?

Part One, Fundamentals of Disabilities and Campaigning, provides essential background on how to understand disabilities and put best practices in place in your campaign. Campaigns must move away from a toxic tradition of exclusionary practices.

Part Two, Campaign Planning and Timeline, and Part Three, Inclusive Message Development and Delivery, move from general principles to specific recommendations. This content will be most valuable for people new to campaigning, but veterans will benefit from advice on how to adapt basic campaign components for disabled participants and audiences.

Part Four, Fostering Effective, Inclusive Campaign Teams, is intended to help you achieve optimal performance while running your campaign with values of dignity and respect for all team members. The framework offered here is a vital intersectional tool for everyone running a campaign.

Part Five, Deploying Your Campaign Team for Voter Engagement, addresses the heart of the electoral campaign: direct voter contact. Part Six, Access to Voting Itself, focuses on the culmination of every electoral effort: enabling as many people as possible to vote. 

Part Seven, Disability Resources and How-To, is technical guidance referenced throughout the guide. If you are committed to disability inclusion, ensure all activities and communications follow this technical guidance.

Part Eight provides sample campaign materials, and the guide ends with a Glossary.

Who created The A-Z of Effective, Inclusive Campaigns?

The A-Z of Effective, Inclusive Campaigns: Win Elections by Getting Out the Disability Vote was created by Detroit Disability Power (DDP), a grassroots organization dedicated to building the organizing and political power of disabled people and our allies in order to advance a society that serves everyone. 

DDP organizes people across disabilities and in an intersectional way with attention to gender, race, class, sexual orientation, citizenship status, religion, and other aspects of our lives.

The diverse authors of The A-Z of Effective, Inclusive Campaigns have broad experience in electoral campaigns and progressive advocacy nonprofits. Some have visible disabilities; some have invisible disabilities; and some are non-disabled. They are united by a commitment to making electoral campaigns more effective and inclusive so that disabled people have greater power over the future of our society.

DDP is grateful to the Ford Foundation, Michigan Donor Alliance, and Movement Voter Project for the funding that made this project possible.

A diverse array of people waiting in line to vote with an American flag draped behind them. Most people stand. One sits in a wheelchair. They are different ages, genders and races.