Getting from one place to the next is not easy for people with disabilities, much less getting to the polls on Election Day.
But the Secretary of State's office wants to reach out to them with the help of UNM students.
Secretary of State Mary Herrera said a grant awarded to her office will give students the opportunity to enter a video competition and help disabled Americans vote.
Students can submit scripts for a 30-second public service announcement to Kamazar Multimedia Production by March 3. The writer of the winning script will be announced on March 7 and will receive $750.
The $100,000 grant was awarded to Herrera's office by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services through the Help America Vote Act.
Herrera said she wants college students to become more involved in the election process.
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Patricia Rael, special projects coordinator for the secretary of state's office, said the PSA should aim to motivate people with disabilities to go to the polls.
"The purpose of that script is, bottom line, to encourage people to get out and vote. Whatever it is, any creative idea that would encourage a person with a disability to get out and vote," she said. "They could talk to their family, their friends, anyone with a disability. They could ask, 'What should I do? What could I say that would encourage you to get out and vote?'"
Media arts student Alicia Garcia said it is nice to see the government offer students this type of opportunity.
"As students, I think we tend to think that they have the money and the power and they don't care about us," she said.
Rael said the grant will also be used to educate poll workers on how to treat people with disabilities.
"This particular grant would provide hardware like temporary ramps or signage, so that people with disabilities would have access to the polling sites," she said.
Voting is not always a horrible experience, but it could be easier for people with disabilities, student Katryn Fraher said.
Fraher, who uses a wheelchair, said any help a disabled person can get is appreciated.
"In using student work, not only are you giving out to students that are disabled and need something like that, but also students are able to get that experience," she said.
