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111 Washington Avenue, Suite 101 |
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| For Immediate Release September 9, 2002 |
For more information contact: Tim Cronin (518) 458-1600 Michael Hellmann (914) 682-3926 Ext.118 |
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Inaccessibility and obstacles in the voting system in Westchester County will hinder voting by disabled individuals in tomorrow's Primary Elections, according to Michael Hellmann of Westchester Independent Living Center (WILC) in White Plains.
Media members are invited to join the WILC’s System Advocacy Teams as they tour polling sites and inspect accessibility for disabled individuals during tomorrow’s primary. The SAT will begin at St. Bernard's Church at 316 South Lexington Avenue in White Plains at 8:30 AM.
New York has 3.6 million people with disabilities, which is 20.6 percent of the population, and 3.3 million are voting-aged. With 1.3 million New Yorkers with disabilities voting in 2000, nearly 2 million New Yorkers with disabilities are eligible but not registered to vote.
"Voting is more difficult than it should be for many in this population," said Hellmann. "To close this gap, individuals with disabilities are demanding more accessible voting systems that will facilitate parity, but many are still hampered at the polls."
Although the number is shrinking, the Federal Election Commission reports that at least 20,000 polling places across the country are not fully accessible to voters with disabilities. The majority of the country continues to use antiquated voting machines that are especially problematic for disabled and older voters.
Twenty percent of the country, including New York, uses lever machines, which require physical strength and coordination for successful operation, and many of which cannot be operated from a wheelchair.
"By contrast, the most disability-friendly voting system is computerized voting. This format is currently used in less than ten percent of the country's polling places," Hellmann said.
In spite of the difficulties, America's disability community continues to cast its ballots in record numbers. A Harris Poll shows that 14 million Americans with disabilities voted in the 2000 Presidential Elections, up dramatically from 11.3 million in 1996. This represents an increase of 30 to 41 percent of voting-aged people with disabilities, but still substantially lower level than that of the entire population, roughly 50 percent.