Accessible Voting
As accessible voting systems become required in the United States, and electronic equipment advances, systems for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or blind or significantly visually impaired, are well-made and can be quite accessible. Systems may include ear phones so patrons can hear human voices reading the ballot (with adjust reqind/forward with a simple touch of a wheel). Large print is available and touch screens are made in bright colors and other formats.
Legislation
The Voting for the Accessibility and Handicapped Act of 1984 generally requires polling places across the United States to be physically accessible to people with disabilities for federal elections. Where no accessible location is available to serve as a polling place, a political subdivision must provide an alternate means of casting a ballot on the day of the election. This law also requires states to make available registration and voting aids for disabled and elderly voters, including information by telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDDs) which are also known as teletypewriters (TTYs).
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the "Motor Voter Act," makes it easier for all Americans to exercise their fundamental right to vote. One of the basic purposes of the Act is to increase the historically low registration rates of minorities and persons with disabilities that have resulted from discrimination. The Motor Voter Act requires all offices of State-funded programs that are primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities to provide all program applicants with voter registration forms, to assist them in completing the forms, and to transmit completed forms to the appropriate State official. http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm#anchor64645
For more information contact:
Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Voting Section - 1800 G
Washington, D.C. 20530
800-253-3931 (V/TTY)