18th July 2001
Only one third of polling stations
were accessible to disabled voters at the general election in May, according
to research published today.
The Polls Apart 3 survey, undertaken
by the charity Scope, found that of the 1,842 polling stations surveyed
in 474 constituencies, as many as 69% could have been inaccessible to disabled
people.
The most common barriers were steps,
dangerous ramps and slippery floors, with only 51% of stations having level
wheelchair access.
Although the survey revealed that
access had improved since the 1997 general election, there was also an
array of horror stories from individuals on polling day.
A first-time voter was forced to
vote in the rain because a deep step barred entrance to the station, while
a disabled man was forced to vote from his car because the polling booths
were positioned our of his reach. Some people were forced to go home without
voting.
Liz Daone, Scope's campaigns manager
said: "Being able to vote is a basic right: it should be open to everyone.
This report should shine a spotlight not just on election day but on any
day, as most polling stations are in public buildings - schools and libraries
- which should be accessible all year round."
Nick Raynsford, local government
minister with responsibility for election law, said that he would use the
survey findings to identify areas which needed to be changed. "We need
to find ways, with the help of the electoral commission, for improved access
to voting for disabled voters," he said. "This report will help us focus
on the areas we need to address."
Scope has made a number of recommendations
to improve access to the stations, including extending the Disability Discrimination
Act to explicitly include polling stations and creating a local-authority
action-plan to ensure that existing polling stations are all accessible
for the next general election.
Website: www.scope.org.uk
David Felton
Inaccessible: only 51% of stations
had level access
David Felton 18.07.2001