From the Daily Texan:
“With Election Day approaching on Nov. 5, voters with disabilities are raising concerns about voting accessibility and offering suggestions to make polling locations and the voting process more accessible.
According to a 2021 study from the U.S Election Assistance Commission, about 11% of voters with disabilities had some form of difficulty voting in the 2020 election, and people with disabilities had a 7% lower turnout rate than people without disabilities of the same age.
Sashi Nisankarao, an attorney for Disability Rights Texas, said per Texas state law, people who have a disability have the right to vote by mail and every polling location must have curbside voting available. According to the Help America Vote Act, every polling location is required to have at least one accessible voting machine with audio and tactile capabilities so people who are blind, have learning disabilities or mobility or dexterity issues can still navigate a ballot privately.
“A lot of times people think that if they can’t leave their house, that they cannot vote,” Nisankarao said. “They need to know about voting by mail, absentee voting.” ”
Read the full article on the Daily Texan website.