This is an interesting piece on the use of technology increasing the
independence of voters with disabilities.
Janet used the Diebold touch screen this year, and it seemed to make it
easier for her. I used a scanned ballot, and where it took her longer to do
a scanned ballot than it took me in the 2004 general, she was finished with
the touch screen and waiting for me this year.
Kendall
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress
depends on the unreasonable man.
-George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950
-----Original Message-----
From: Justice For All Moderator [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2006 4:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: A More Independent Disabled Vote
A More Independent Disabled Vote
Advances in technology will increase independence and privacy for
disabled voters
By Christy Goodman
[log in to unmask]
Washington Examiner Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
New Technology will enable blind voters and others with
disabilities to cast their ballots independently and privately
across the region today.
Todays election marks the first general election where provisions
of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 are available to a multitude
of voters who previously needed assistance in recording their
choice of candidates.
John Pare Jr., a 47-year-old who lost his sight 10 years ago, said
voting in the primary without his wifes assistance was "extremely
rewarding for me."
He also said that he is excited about participating in the general
election.
Pare, a spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind, said
the new audio components in specially accessible machines required
by HAVA are as easy as operating a phone.
There are 1.3 million legally blind people in the country and 8.7
million with low vision, he said.
About 50 percent of those people are senior citizens, known to be
a strong voting block.
Some voting machines have sip and puff technology to allow
paralyzed individuals to cast a ballot, said Paul DeGregorio,
chairman of the US Election Assistance Commission.
This is truly historic, DeGregorio said.
There is no other country in the world that has this requirement
and it does empower people to vote privately and independently.
It is important that people realize that the accessible machines
are helpful to many more people than to the disabled, said Jim
Dickson, vice president for government affairs for the American
Association of People with Disabilities.
People who have learning disabilities and use English as a second
language also benefit from the machines, he said.
Dickson, a blind DC resident, was able to first use the technology
to vote in the 2004 elections.
He said, anecdotally, Turnout is up and there is a lot more
conversation among the organized disabled about voting than I have
ever seen in any election, including the 2004 election.
Even so, wheelchair accessibility and placement of the machines
within polling places are still problematic, Dickson warned.
Each polling place is required to have at least one accessible
voting machine or at least curbside voting for the disabled, said
James Alcorn, a policy advisor for the Virginia State Board of
Elections.
______________________________________________________________
For more voting news issues, see:
http://www.aapd.com/dvpmain/votenews/indexvotenews.php
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