Making democracy accessible to the disabled

By JENNIFER ONDREJKA and JODI HANNA

Posted: Nov. 5, 2006

There is nothing more fundamental than our right to cast a vote, in private, for the candidate of our choice. And there is nothing more fundamentally unfair when that right is taken away.

Experience has taught us that any American can be impeded when trying to exercise the right to vote. But the disabilities community encounters very specific barriers.

In 2004, for example, 21% of Americans with a disability reported that their polling place was not accessible; 24% said they needed alternative voting formats or assistance that was not available to them; and 22% said their eligibility had been challenged.

In addition, 52% of Americans with disabilities voted in 2004, up from 41% in 2000 but more than 10% lower than the turnout among all Americans (60.7%) in '04.