[vicsireland] Re: Voting and the vision impaired!
- From: "Sandberg, Robert" <robert.sandberg@xxxxxxx>
- To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 11:37:41 +0200
Hi folks!
I think we're crossing in to VIP list territory, because we're talking
about access to voting in general, but so be it.
First of all, I can't believe a blind person can be denied choosing a
person that has their confidence, to help with voting. That would mean
that we are incapable of making a conscious decision as to whom we
trust.
Secondly, I don't think we can insist on electronic voting if it isn't
deemed safe enough for the rest of the general public.
And lastly I'd like to tell you of a simple but effective way of making
voting accessible, the German institute for the blind came up with.
They created a kind of cardboard envelope which had the names of the
parties or candidates on it in Braille. Next to each name was a hole,
about the size of a 1 Cent coin. If the ballot paper was inserted in to
the envelope and aligned exactly with the top left hand corner, the
holes corresponded with the tick boxes on the paper. So you could use a
pen and scribble a mark in the hole next to the party of your choice.
Would that be something for the NCBI to look in to?
Cheers,
Robbie
-----Original Message-----
From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of noreenmeagher
Sent: Mittwoch, 26. Juli 2006 23:44
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Voting and the vision impaired!
Hi all,
Prior to these machines being withdrawn, there was a discussion on
Limerick
radio with a panel of speakers representing different groups and
organisations discussing the pros and cons of electronic voting.
However,
as there was no mention made of the fact that these machines were not
suitable for blind or visually impaired voters, I rang the programme and
pointed out, that I as a blind person could access my home computer with
a
screen reader without any difficulty, and yet, when these machines were
designed the forethought was not there to make these computers
accessible.
Nobody on the programme was aware that these machines were not
accessible
for those of us with visual impairments. This is just another example
of
the lack of awareness that is out there and we need to be mindful of
this
with another election pending.
Noreen M.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Dromey" <pdromey@xxxxxx>
To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 6:47 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Voting and the vision impaired!
> It's not so much the actual boycott that would make an impact, rather
the
> threat of doing so if the exercise of our franchise cannot be seen to
be
> carried out in a totally private and confidential manner. The idea is
to
> use the threat as a method for getting the message across.
>
> In the end, boycotting or spoiling our votes will achieve nothing in
> itself.
>
> To be honest, there are issues more important for us than this one
right
> now. However, if electronic voting looks like coming back into the
> picture
> any time soon, we should be out there doing everything possible to
ensure
> that the machines are accessible. I know that some of you have been
> commendably active in this area in the past.
>
> Paul D
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Flor Lynch
> Sent: 26 July 2006 17:53
> To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Voting and the vision impaired!
>
>
> What would grab even more attention, and better, in my humble view, is
if
> we
> threatened to go and spoil our votes in protest against the present
> inaccessibility. (Not a course of action to be taken lightly, I
hasten to
> add.) I haven't had a problem with not having a companion of my
choosing
> accompany me into the booth. Election boycotts, unless they are
massive,
> seldom or never work the way they're intended.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Tim Culhane" <tim.culhane@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 4:51 PM
> Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Voting and the vision impaired!
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I have never had problems been accompanied into the voting booth by a
> family member?
>
> It is true that the current voting machines are unusable by the blind
or
> partially sighted, given that there is no audible interface to the
> machine, and I believe there are problems with font size and text
> contrast
> on the display.
>
>
> Not sure how useful a boycott of the election would be ... Given that
we
> are
> a tiny minority, and spread so thinly throughout so many
constituencies.
>
> However, it would certainly grab attention.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tim
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Paul Dromey
> Sent: 26 July 2006 16:47
> To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Voting and the vision impaired!
>
>
> Hi Paul and everyone.
>
> My own solution to this one was to opt for a postal vote. It still
> doesn't
> give complete privacy but, at least, it avoids the indignity of the
> polling
> officer or clerk insisting on accompanying us into the booth, since
they
> won't allow a companion to do it.
>
> It's pretty safe to say that there won't be electronic voting at the
next
> General Election - the whole subject is a political hot potato these
days.
> In any case, the voting machines now in storage were of no use to
vision
> impaired voters as I understand it, at least not without further
tweaking
> that might or might not work.
>
> Certainly, VICS and NCBI should be lobbying on this one, the problem
being
> that the whole subject of electronic voting seems to be dead in the
water
> with the powers that b, so nobody is listening. Perhaps the
opposition
> parties might respond to lobbying and use it as another stick to beat
the
> Government, at least that would keep the subject alive and in the
> forefront
> for when electronic voting is back on the national agenda. If we find
> ourselvees completely ignored on this one, we could always to boycott
the
> election on the grounds that we feel that we do not have a proper and
> secret
> franchise. That should get their attention!
>
> Paul D.
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Lists
> Sent: 26 July 2006 16:23
> To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [vicsireland] Voting and the vision impaired!
>
>
> Hi All,
>
> As it looks like there will be a general election next year I was just
> wondering where are we the vision impaired this time round in
relation
> to
> our ability to cast our votes in the booths provided?. I just wonder
if
> anyone in VICs has been in touch with the people who arrange all
this.
> It
> is now the 21st century and it seems there isn't a word on sorting
out
> this situation of eletronic voting and giving us proper access to
vote in
> private.
>
> I would like to hear what others think about this situation as it
stands
> at
> the moment.
>
> Regards,
>
> Paul.
>
>
>
>
>
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