Emergency HAVAccess: Polling Place Access Funds Not in President's 2012 Budget

AVAcess is Inclusion Solutions' newsletter to help election officials address polling place and other disability access requirements as mandated by the Help America Vote Act.  We had planned to devote this first HAVAccess of 2011 newsletter to our new 2011 catalog and our four-station booth free sample program, with an exploration of how universal design can serve your jurisdictions best. 

But..something happened on the way to publication.  The president's  2012 proposed budgetwas released on Monday, and much to our shock it does not include funding for either making polling places accessible to voters with disabilities or for payments to state protection and advocacy agencies in this area.

Please click here to see the a PDF of the page proposing these cuts.

We think this decision will deeply harm voter accessibility, and ask that you contact your Secretary of State and local legislators.  As you reach your elected representatives, please think about the following:

• Site accessibility is improved but is not solved.  The General Accounting Office reported in 2008 that only 27% of polling sites nationally were completely accessible, and that many challenges remain.  
• HAVA required each polling place to have at least one voting system be accessible for people with disabilities in federal elections by January 1, 2006.  According to the GAO Report, site access has improved (largely as a result of this funding) but that 73% of sites were still not fully accessible by 2008.  Without funding, this number will not  improve.
• Absentee voting has become increasingly important to voters, but remains inaccessible to voters with disabilities.  There are exciting new technologies that make remote voting accessible - technologies in the market that hold great promise...but without funding, they will not become available.
• Solutions today are advancing towards "universal design" - serving all voters with and without disabilities equally.  Absent funding, voters with disabilities will be tied to "old technology" that is still "separate but equal."
• $17 million represents 0.0005% of our federal budget.  Cutting such a small amount clearly will not improve our nation's fiscal health; but it will undermine equal access to the ballot...the right that makes our country the envy of the world.

National Disability Advocates such as the American Association of People with Disabilities  and the National Disability Rights Networkare still formulating their response to this news.  HAVAcess will include their official responses as they become available....

The news is not all bad!  The president's "continuing resolution" does provide for $17 million more in 2011 for voters with disabilities. (hopefully Congress will not compound the problem with further funding cuts).

So all of our our job is to make sure that this decision for 2012 is reversed and access to the ballot is protected for all.  Congress still has to pass the president's budget, and Congress can reinstate voting access for individuals with disabilities.  Be sure to let your local legislators know the importance of this funding.

Whether you are an election official, advocate, or person with a disability, now is the time to rally to ensure that voting - the right from which all others derive - remains accessible.  We'd also love to hear your stories on how this funding has made a difference to either you as a voter, advocate, or elections official.  Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your thoughts and stories.

HAVAccess will continue to monitor developments in our upcoming issues and will have more information on possible steps you can take on this critical issue.