Election raised major access issue for disabled voters
MAJOR concerns have been expressed in the wake of the general election over the accessibility of polling stations across the county and the ability of people with disabilities to exercise their democratic right in private like everyone else.
The issue was raised by well known disability activist Vivian Rath after he himself was forced to vote at a table outside the main hall as a result of the in-availability of accessible polling booths.
‘I use two walking sticks and a mobility scooter and I’m below average height,’ Vivian explained. ‘So I’d need what’s known as an accessible polling booth. Basically, they are just lower and wider than a standard booth, but these are things that are widely available.’
Vivian previously encountered difficulties when casting his vote in the by-election back in November. While he says that the staff at his local polling station in Kilmuckridge were ‘absolutely lovely’ and ‘extremely helpful’ and did all they could to accommodate him, he had to vote out in the open at a table.
‘After voting in the by-election, I contacted the returning officer in relation to the issue,’ he said. ‘I did receive a letter back saying they’d look into it, but when I arrived to vote this time, nothing had changed and I had to vote at a table outside in the hall.’
Vivian subsequently threw the question out on social media to see if other people with disabilities were having similar issues. He got a massive response with problems ranging from people with disabilities not being able to access their polling station at all or not being able to vote in privacy, to a lack of signage and problems with the templates for visually impaired people.
‘If you think about it, we have 23,000 people in Co Wexford with disabilities,’ said Vivian.
‘A large percentage of those are facing barriers while voting or may not be able to vote at all, when the solutions are quite simple.’
‘In this day and age, we shouldn’t accept that polling stations are in inaccessible buildings. It’s reflective of a wider problem in society. Being able to vote is a fundamental right.’
‘Following my experience of the barriers to voting in Wexford, I with Maria Ni Fhlartha a disability activist from NUIG, have launched a national survey examining the “voting experiences of people with disabilities”,’ Vivian concluded.
‘We aim to use the results to campaign to remove the barriers to voting for people with disabilities. So far there has been a huge response.’