Civil Rights and Equal Access
Voting Accessibility
Issue Overview
After recent close and disputed elections, there is an increased focus on upgrading voting machines to improve their security and accountability to ensure that every voter can cast a ballot with confidence that it will be counted. Updating voting machines must also include a focus on improving accessibility for the disabled. With older voting machines, a visually impaired voter would have to bring another person into the voting booth in order to successfully cast a ballot. This reliance on another individual did not allow a visually impaired voter to cast a ballot in privacy, nor have full confidence that their vote was cast as intended.
Technology has improved to the point where voting machines can be equipped to allow a visually impaired voter to cast a ballot both privately and independently.
Lighthouse International testified at a New York City Council Government Operations Committee in September 2008, regarding the need to increase outreach efforts to inform voters with visual impairments about the availability of ballot marking devices in the 2008 General Election. To read the full testimony click here.
Types of Voting Machines
To determine what Ballot Marking Device your New York County has chosen, click here or to find a demonstration site, where you can learn more about the ballot marking device chosen by New York City, click here
Current Legislation
Federal
Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007 (HR 811/S 559)
This legislation contains a section mandating that all voting machines be accessible for disabled individuals so that every voter can vote privately and independently.
For more details on the bill, including bill text, recent legislative action and list of sponsors, click here.
For more details on the bill, including bill text, recent legislative action and list of sponsors, click here.
For more details on the bill, including bill text, recent legislative action and list of sponsors, click here.
For more details on the bill, including bill text, recent legislative action and list of sponsors, click here.
Lighthouse International has tips and advice for visually impaired individuals on how to handle and identify different currency. You can access that information, here.
Read about other policy issues:
Vision Care and Rehabilitative Services
What You Can Do
New York State
S 2841 - Requiring voters that are blind and visually impaired have equal access to voting machines.
A 5170/S 1648 - Provides for the implementation of paper ballot only technology including optical scanners and accessible ballot marking devices; repeals provisions relating to voting machines.
Paper Currency
Issue Overview
Making paper currency accessible to the visually impaired community has always been an important policy issue. Accessible paper currency was pushed to the forefront of national debate when, in November 2006, a United States District Court ruled that keeping US currency the same size and texture violates the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. This ruling was upheld by a federal appeals court in May 2008 and the federal government is now deciding whether it will appeal to the Supreme Court. Please check back here for the latest updates on this landmark decision.
To read Lighthouse International's response click here.
Current Federal Legislation
Catherine Skivers Currency for All Act (HR 1931)
This legislation in the United States House of Representatives requires the production of Federal Reserve notes in a manner which enables an individual who is blind to determine the denomination of each such note.