Injured while trying to vote

Woman in wheelchair in critical condition

A WOMAN is in a critical condition after an accident involving her wheelchair and a ramp near a polling booth in Hobart’s northern suburbs on state election day.

The woman was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital after the incident at Glenorchy on Saturday morning.

A Health Department spokesman on Friday said she remained at the RHH in a critical condition. The nature of her injuries are not known.

Tasmanian Electoral Commission deputy commissioner Ngaire Edwards confirmed the incident occurred at Glenorchy Primary School and that it was being investigated.

It is believed the woman had been moving through the school grounds intending to vote, but did not make it to the polling place due to the incident.

Ms Edwards said an ambulance was called to the scene, and the manager at the polling place filed an incident report to the state’s Justice Department, which manages workplace health and safety issues.

“The polling manager came across to assist, an ambulance was called and [the woman] was transported to hospital,’’ she said.

“We escalated it through to the Justice WHS section on Monday. We’ve been in contact with the lady’s brother and also to her caregivers.”

A Department of Justice spokesman said WorkSafe Tasmania had been notified of the incident and would be making inquiries.

Disability Voices Tasmania chair Michael Small described the case as a “very sad occurrence”.

Mr Small said there were requirements to ensure access for people with a disability.

“Any building that seeks to provide access for the whole community needs to make sure that whatever means of providing access is safe and complies with the law,’’ he said.

“In terms of ramps, for decades there has been some very specific technical requirements that are aimed to make ramps safe. This is both for people who use wheelchairs, but also for blind people as well.”

There were 268 polling places across Tasmania last Saturday as electors voted for the House of Assembly, and the Legislative Council divisions of Derwent and Windermere.