More Issues with ADA Compliance at Polling Places
United States Attorney Richard Hartunian recently announced there would be an investigation into various polling locations in Onondaga County, New York. According to reports, there had been numerous complaints from people visiting these locations that the polling places did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
There have already been stories in other areas of the country this election season about non compliance at polling places, and this is an issue that will only increase in prominence this fall once the presidential election finally occurs. It’s easy to see why—polling places must be accessible by all members of the public.
A study after the 2012 presidential election found only 27 percent of all polling places had no potential barriers to access by people who have some sort of disability. That means 73 percent of the nation’s polling places were noncompliant, an absolutely astonishing figure.
This latest investigation will look into 35 polling locations in Onondaga and Albany Counties. Problems uncovered at any of the locations surveyed will then be reported to both state and local officials, who will take charge of fixing all of these issues by the time of the presidential election on November 8.
Potential Accessibility Problems
Accessibility problems at polling locations can range from minor issues like height of signage placement to major issues like lack of signage altogether, no wheelchair accessibility or no accessible parking.
These types of problems are always of great concern to public officials, as all buildings open to the public must meet certain standards of accessibility and compliance with the ADA. This issue is placed under the microscope even more during election season, given a lack of compliance could interfere with a person’s constitutional right to have their voice heard in the election.
Expect to hear many more stories of municipalities pinpointing noncompliance issues at polling places and working to have them fixed by the fall, especially considering the recent rise of ADA lawsuits.
For more information about becoming ADA compliant, contact the team of ADA signage experts at Erie Custom Signs.
