Blind woman in Norwich calls for next government to make voting more accessible
Charity RNIB says just 13% of individuals felt they could vote independently and in secret in the 2019 General Election
A blind woman from Norfolk is calling on the next government to make voting more accessible for blind and partially sighted people.
It's as new data from sight loss charity RNIB shows just 13% of individuals felt they could vote independently and in secret in the 2019 General Election - as they weren't offered necessary adaptations.
Currently, the vast majority of blind people have to be assisted by another person to read or mark their vote on the ballot paper, with Rachael Andrews, who lives in Norwich saying this can leave leaving voters feeling pressured and vulnerable: "When I went to vote once I asked for the adaptations needed and was met with no knowledge of them being available.
"I asked them to look for them and they came back ten seconds later telling me they didn't have them.
"They didn't know it was a legal responsibility...
"I was made to feel almost like I was a nuisance and that my voice didn't count. I have as much right legally, morally and ethically to vote in secret as anyone else."
Some solutions to this issue, which use audio and tactile elements, do exist, the RNIB says they aren't widely available, with blind and partially sighted voters often have to request these from local electoral officials.
The charity also reports it's dealt with Incidents where blind voters had to state their choices out loud, leading to discomfort and uncertainty about whether their vote was cast as intended.
It claims some have even opted out of voting altogether due to these issues.
"We need our voices heard as much as anybody"
Rachael's not surprised: "A lot of people find it so difficult and such a stressful experience that they just don't bother.
"Some people have suggested I get a postal vote but that's even more inaccessible - there are no provisions unless you get someone to do it for you!"
She tells us it's crucial partially sighted people get to have their say: " Many visually impaired people are quite vulnerable in society and their voices aren't being heard.
"That's politically and morally unfair - we need our voices heard as much as anybody."
Rachael explained she thinks having more options of how to vote would improve the situation: "I'd prefer a digital or telephone version to go alongside the ballot paper.
"That would make it more accessible for lots of people, not just visually impaired people.
"I also think more people would vote because it would be easier to do from home or work."
Feeling forgotten by political parties
This comes just days after national disability charity Sense published new data showing nearly half of disabled people in the UK feel forgotten by political parties.
In a survey of 1000 people with disabilities, 47% said disabled people and the issues they face were not important to political parties.
The same number claim politicians don’t do enough to engage disabled people to secure their vote, while as many as one in four (26%) said they were not optimistic that life would improve for disabled people under a new UK government.
A third (33%) believe their vote won’t make a difference to disabled people’s lives, putting them off voting.
Off the back of this research, Sense has produced a manifesto for political candidates, called ‘A Plan for Change’, outlining how the next government can improve the lives of disabled people, focusing on seven key recommendations:
- Make sure disabled people can afford the essentials.
- Fund social care so no disabled adult goes without support.
- End the postcode lottery of social care for disabled children.
- Give every disabled child equal access to education.
- Make the benefits system work for disabled people.
- Tackle barriers to work.
- Always have a senior Minister for Disabled People.
"It's a disgrace"
Sense Chief Executive, Richard Kramer, said:
“It’s a disgrace that disabled people, and the societal inequalities they face, have received so little attention by politicians during the election campaign.
“It’s unsurprising, then, that so few disabled people believe that life will improve under a new UK government.
“But it must improve. The pandemic and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated many of the problems that disabled people and their families already faced.
“Disabled people are struggling to pay for essentials like food and energy. The social care sector, which so many depend on, is in crisis, and the welfare system is in urgent need of reform.
“Whoever forms the next UK government must show disabled people that they do matter to them.”