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INDIANA: People With Disabilities Test Out Voting Machines They made suggestions on accommodations to the sight-impaired and wheelchair users. By Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel Posted on Thu, Apr. 08, 2004 Allen County's new voting machines got a passing grade Wednesday from the people they were designed to benefit most: those with disabilities. But the grade was a generous "B." There's plenty of room for improvement, according to about 20 people who tried out the machines at the Turnstone Center for Disabled Children & Adults. And that's just fine with Pam Finlayson, the county's director of elections, who wants to identify and correct problems before the machines are phased in two years from now. The electronic machines are not only smaller and lighter than models now in use; their legs are high and wide enough to accommodate most wheelchairs, and they can speak in a computerized voice so sight-impaired voters can be sure they've pushed the right button. While the machines will bring Allen County into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, there's a far less bureaucratic advantage too, according to Becky Weimerskirch, Turnstone's director of community access: The machines will allow people with disabilities to be more independent on Election Day - which could encourage more of them to go to the polls. Cathy Chester, who has used a wheelchair for the past two years, said she's not sure she would vote at all if she couldn't easily use the machine. "I couldn't get close enough before." But after being easily able to move her chair underneath the new machine, she hailed it as "much better. It's really accessible." Still, there were suggestions. "The volume (of the machine's electronic voice) wasn't high enough," Robert Gille said. "The screen needed to be darker so you could read it better," said his wife, Barb. And Elliott Moord, who has Parkinson's disease, said a protective screen should be developed so people who cannot easily control hand movements don't accidentally vote for the wrong candidate. Still others said the machine's legs were too narrow, too tall or too short. Finlayson said she'll address those concerns - and others that crop up between now and 2006. "We want this to be a partnership." The county plans to buy about 200 of the machines, at a cost of about $2,500 each - much of the money coming from Washington. Weimerskirch knows the need for greater voting accessibility is there - and will only grow as the population ages. Turnstone, which provides services to help those with disabilities live independently, worked with about 2,500 people last year and will serve more this year, she said. And one in five Americans has some form of disability. "Voting absentee is fine, but a lot of people don't make up their mind before Election Day," Weimerskirch said. "And being seen (at the voting booth) is part of being in the mainstream." SOURCE: Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/8385804.htm * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn