Inaccessible Polling Places

People with disabilities have made their voices heard for years about the difficulties they experience trying to get in the door of polling places on election day. Laws have been passed at the federal and state levels to address this issue and yet polling places continue to be inaccessible to people with disabilities. In 2001 the federal General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report that found 8 out of 10 polling places nationwide have access problems.

Bob Williams, former Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, gave testimony before Congress about the barriers people with disabilities face at the voting booth. The National Organization on Disability has developed a polling place accessibility guide called "Voting: A Constitutional Right for All Citizens" that can be used by local election officials to ensure that their polling places are totally accessible. Justice for All, a disability advocacy organization, has developed some simple suggestions for states to address when election reform is being discussed.