Virtual Testimony Storyteller: Katie Shelley
Katie Shelley, Chair of the Ohio Olmstead Task Force
Katie Shelley explains why leaders in Columbus need to make the lawmaking process more accessible, transparent, and open to citizen input by making virtual testimony available for all legislative hearings.
“With virtual testimony, you can see our faces and hear us tell our stories”
The Ohio Olmstead Task Force is a statewide grassroots coalition of Ohioans with disabilities of all ages, family members, advocates, and organizations who advocate for the right of people with disabilities to live, work and participate in their communities. Formed in 2002, The Ohio Olmstead Task Force supports the 1999 Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. LC, that states unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities who are able to live in the community with supports in place, is discriminatory.
With our focus being on participating in our communities, the members The Ohio Olmstead Task Force would prefer, if at all possible, to testify in person. We do not want virtual testimony to replace or be used to discourage in-person testimony of those with disabilities. However, in situations such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, with many of our members being people with disabilities whose health may be severely impacted if they were to contract the virus, it makes sense to be able to testify virtually. Or, in non-pandemic times, testifying virtually can be used as reasonable accommodation in circumstances where travel will affect the health of individual, or accessible transportation cannot be secured. Furthermore, for persons with disabilities, travel can often take some planning – whether it be securing transportation or securing a personal care attendant to accompany an individual.
If an individual with a disability is unable to travel in the event that a hearing is rescheduled at the last minute, and/or travel to and from Columbus is not feasible, virtual testimony offers the solution of still being able to testify without having to travel.
While testifying virtually is not the same as testifying in person, with virtual testimony you can still see our faces and hear us tell our stories. Written testimony provides our words on paper, but virtual testimony allows for our voice to be heard, and is the next best thing to sharing our story in the same room as legislators.
While I hope that someday soon we will be able to be in the same room together again -- testifying and being a part of making a change -- in the event of an emergency or if an accommodation is necessary, virtual testimony is a positive step toward making sure all voices can and will be heard.
Virtual testimony is a commonsense way to make our legislative process more transparent and accessible to all of us.
Here are two ways you can add your voice to the calls for virtual testimony at the Statehouse
Learn more & share the story about the 75 organizations calling for Statehouse leaders to implement virtual testimony now.
Contact your lawmakers and urge them to make virtual testimony available for all legislative committee hearings using this tool from our partners at All On The Line.
