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“Like everyone else,” campaigners push for disabled Hoosiers to be able to vote

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Bloomington, Indiana – Voting options for Hoosiers with disabilities have historically included in-person voting before or on election day, absentee voting, or using a moving board that delivers ballots to voters’ homes.

Michael Ely, a guy with cerebral palsy from Bloomington, casts his ballot in person. Ely lives alone with help and utilizes a power wheelchair and communication gadget. He works as a screen reader accessibility specialist at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC).

However, he stated that he has no explanation for why he casts his ballot in person.
Ely emailed, “It is just like everybody else does.”

In recent years, campaigners and authorities in Indiana and local communities have taken action to ensure that Hoosiers with disabilities, like Ely, have the same voting rights as those without disabilities.

According to data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and Rutgers University, Indiana’s voter turnout for disabled voters in 2018 was 8% lower than that of voters without impairments, 3.2% higher than the national average, and outside the sample’s margin of error.
After four years, Indiana’s “disability gap” was reduced by more than half to 3.9%. It is still more than the U.S. difference, but it is a national decline that may have been influenced by absentee voting policies that proliferated following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I firmly believe that providing voting options in a variety of ways levels the playing field for those who find it difficult to physically attend and participate,” stated Derek Nord, director of the IIDC.

However, data from Rutgers and EAC shows that when overall voter turnout is higher, the differences are larger nationally in presidential election years.

A staff liaison for the Council for Community Accessibility (CCA), which raises awareness of and takes action on accessibility issues in the city, Michael Shermis is the director of the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission.

He stated that Hal Turner, who was then on the Monroe County election board, approached the CCA about accessibility issues at some of its more than 30 possible polling places before the 2020 presidential election.

According to Shermis, the council decided to conduct site evaluations, as they often do for Bloomington companies. Additionally, they requested input on some of the polling locations from customers of Stone Belt, a nonprofit organization in central Indiana that offers services to individuals with disabilities.

“It’s fantastic for those who have the location to realize that these are the obstacles that exist,” Shermis remarked. “And ‘oh, this is a problem,’ and ‘oh, well, this is a problem, but is there any way we could address it?'”

The county attempted to implement the CCA’s recommendations for improving physical accessibility as a consequence of the reviews. One recommendation, according to Shermis, was to post signs indicating that voters with disabilities might bypass the line at places lacking accessible facilities.

In recent years, Indiana Disability Rights (IDR), a state organization that offers resources and representation to Hoosiers with disabilities, has also taken action to improve voting accessibility.
People with disabilities can access election-related information on the “Hoosiers Vote” website, which includes information on their rights at the polls and candidate Q&A regarding the potential impact of their platforms on disabled voters.

Prior to the 2023 state election, IDR collaborated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to assess polling places and provide county commissioners with suggestions to increase accessibility, according to WFYI. IDR aims to do these reviews for each election, according to Sam Adams, a senior attorney there. According to the ADA website, this provides detailed instructions on how to adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which forbids discrimination based on disability in public accommodations, employment, and other contexts.

Adams, however, mentioned a 2023 initiative pertaining to absentee voting for those who are blind, have impaired eyesight, or have dexterity problems. In order to enable authorized voters with disabilities to use an electronic tool to complete their votes, IDR and the American Council of the Blind of Indiana came to an agreement with the Indiana Election Commission, Election Division, and Secretary of State.

According to Adams, before the settlement, a voter who is blind or visually handicapped would only be able to cast their ballot in person or through the traveling board. On a paper ballot that was mailed in, these voters had no way to get help.

According to Adams, voting in person during the COVID-19 epidemic could be risky for blind and immunocompromised individuals who need to touch more surfaces to move around. Additionally, voters with disabilities who get assistance through the traveling board are not permitted to cast a confidential ballot; instead, they must disclose their selections to county officials.

According to Adams, the lawsuit has made it possible for authorized voters with disabilities to fill out a ballot on their own, in secret, and email it to the county. According to its website, the Democracy Live-created program, known as OmniBallot Portal, is used in 34 states.

Voters can receive and digitally mark their choices before downloading a print “return package” to submit to election officials, as seen in a video presentation. According to Disability Rights Advocates, the OmniBallot Portal integrates with voters’ personal assistive equipment, which helps blind individuals access digital content.

“With the changes brought about by the settlement of our case, I believe Indiana has become one of the more accessible states, at least in terms of absentee voting,” Adams stated. We put a lot of effort into making sure the system was as accessible as possible, including allowing voters to return their ballots without printing them off and mailing them in.

However, Nord, the IIDC’s director, stated that improving access to other support systems for individuals with impairments can be the first step in addressing voting accessibility.

Employment could be one of these areas, according to Nord. CNN reports that twenty-eight states mandate that companies provide time off for employees to cast their ballots. Not in Indiana. According to Nord, finding a job can already be difficult for individuals with disabilities, and if they are unsure if their company would assist them, they might be less inclined to cast a ballot.

Transportation is another. According to Nord, those with disabilities who may not have access to service providers would have to depend on public transit as a “life line to the community.” Election Day is no exception.

Because of their diversity, humans in general individually have their own strengths and weaknesses, according to Nord. However, we also know that many facets of society are particularly challenging for people with impairments. Furthermore, it is a result of the way we have organized things rather than anything they have done.

Election Day presents its own set of mobility issues for Stone Belt, an organization that assists individuals with impairments in casting their ballots. The organization’s largest obstacle, according to Adam Hamel, director of community engagement at Stone Belt, is a shortage of support personnel.

According to Hamel, some employees are unable to drive, and some of the individuals Stone Belt assists might have roommates who would prefer not to vote as well. Additionally, employees must make sure they are not forcing their political views on Stone Belt customers.

According to Hamel, Stone Belt is addressing this by educating employees on how to use the ridesharing app Uber and public transit. “They make sure anyone who wants to go out to the polls can,” he remarked, despite the practical challenges.

“The people we support should not only have their voices heard, but also be seen to have their voices heard,” he stated. “Seen at the polls so that people understand that they have the human dignity and rights to participate in the process.”

 

 

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