Pocono News Section

Voting Improvements for the Visually Impaired

Voting Improvements for the Visually Impaired - Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 5:34PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Tuesday, Nov 6, 2007 @05:34pm EST
ROSS TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY - What a difference a year makes, especially when fighting for the rights of people with disabilities.

Michael Bryant is visually impaired. Last year he and many other members of the Monroe County Council of the Blind headed to the polls. "And as they went to vote they were told it would take a long period of time and they were kind of dissuaded from doing that vote," said Bryant.

For the past four elections, Monroe County has used an audible voting system so people who are blind or visually impaired can listen to the ballot through headphones and cast their votes with a controller.

The technology allows the visually impaired to vote without help. Bryant said, "Just as you or any other American citizen has the right to vote we would like that same right and we'd like to go in and be able to vote by ourselves."

The Council of the Blind told WBRE News for the last few elections poll workers discouraged the use of the audible system because it takes about 15 minutes longer than it does to vote normally. So the council met with the county to train poll workers to be more sensitive.

Monroe County's Voting Director Sara May-Silfee said, "I've been working with them since last May, when we started using the machines on how we can make it better."

Bryant said his experience this year was much better. He voted alone for the first time.

The council said this is a step in the right direction but there's still room to improve.

The Monroe County Council of the Blind will continue to work with county officials to improve the voting experience.