http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060411/OPINION02/604110313&SearchID=73241638977120
Chris Hilderbrant
Guest essayist
(April 11, 2006) — Under pressure from the U.S. Justice
Department, New York state is rushing to scrape together a plan to make voting
more accessible to people with disabilities by this November. Unfortunately,
New York's interim plans do not benefit people with disabilities and will
potentially waste many millions of dollars.
New York is considering two basic plans to implement some of
the accessibility provisions of the Help America Vote Act, collectively known
as "Plan B." The first option would require New York to have one
machine it determines to be accessible in every polling place by November 2006.
The second option is a phone-in system that would be used only for disabled
voters.
Neither of these options actually meets the voting needs of
people with disabilities and both options pose significant logistical problems
for local boards of elections and the voting public in general.
To have a new "accessible" machine in every
polling site by November 2006, New York and its counties would have to rush to
purchase a system. None of the systems presented to New York have effectively
met the needs of people with disabilities. New York has not even finalized its
standards for accessibility and the draft regulations did not meet the demands
of our disabled community.
The phone-in system is prohibitive to people with many types
of disabilities. Also, the logistical implementation of this system is a
nightmare. The phone-in system requires phone lines and fax machines in all
polling sites. Many do not have phone connections, so it would be impossible
for them to even operate the phone-in system.
People with disabilities have been advocating for many years
that New York improve access to its voting system. There has been sufficient
time to make a good plan and a wise decision, yet New York has failed us.
It is shameful that despite the number of demonstrations of
potential voting machines, public hearings, phone calls, letters and meetings
with state officials, New York now is considering implementing two "quick-fix"
voting systems that fail to meet the needs of voters with disabilities. Neither
system is accessible and both systems cause significant problems for local
elections commissioners. Both systems may also prove to be a large waste of
funds if different voting machines are selected for more general use in 2007.
We are sick of waiting to be able to vote privately and
independently. After many years of avoiding us, it is time that New York works
with people with disabilities to identify a voting machine that meets our needs
and satisfies the needs of the voting public as a whole.
Hilderbrant is director of advocacy, Center for Disability
Rights; Hoffman, who is blind, is a disability rights advocate, Regional Center
for Independent Living.
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