skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Disability Advocates to Survey NYC Polling Places for Accessibility

play audio
Play

Monday, June 27, 2022   

Tomorrow marks the New York primary, and advocates for New Yorkers with disabilities are raising awareness about the barriers some voters face for casting a ballot.

Groups such as the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York (CIDNY) have tips for election officials on how to make sure a given polling place is completely accessible.

Monica Bartley, manager of community organizers for CIDNY, said it is rare to see an election without any accessibility roadblocks, and she noted the types of barriers vary from missing signage to too-steep ramps.

"It could be pathways that have barriers that could obstruct you; for example, broken concrete," Bartley explained. "There is a problem of narrow doorways as well as ballot marking devices that don't work."

Throughout voting, CIDNY staff and volunteers will be monitoring polling places in New York City with an accessibility checklist, to make sure state guidelines are followed.

According to CIDNY's 2021 survey, out of 45 election sites in Manhattan, about half had at least one obstacle which could prevent someone with a disability from voting.

Bartley noted they plan to share the results with the New York Board of Elections, and advocate for them to address any issues.

"It may be that site is no longer used," Bartley noted. "Or they may take remedial action. It may be a doorway that is too narrow, so it means they may remove the door frame to give us the additional space."

The 2021 report makes three major buckets of recommendations for guaranteeing polling places are accessible to all: ensuring clear and level pathways throughout each polling place, posting adequate signage, and piloting walk-throughs of sites with disability advocates.

Bartley added more training may be needed for some poll workers on how to operate ballot-marking devices as well.

Disclosure: The Center for Independence of the Disabled New York contributes to our fund for reporting on Disabilities. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021