29 February, 2000
 
 

Physical Disability Council Northern Territory, on behalf of its Membership submits the following submission.

Environmental Access and Electoral Procedures on Polling Day.

PDC-NT is a division of Physical Disability Council Of Australia (PDCA) and is a Territory Peak Organisation representing people with physical disabilities across the Northern Territory.

PDC-NT works on a collective model, and decisions are made using a consensus approach. PDC-NT is entirely managed by people with physical disabilities, for people with physical disabilities, and it is the only organisation of its kind in the Territory.

PDC-NT would like to take this opportunity to make comment and have input into this very vexatious issue and it commends the Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner and HREOC for addressing this issue in an open and public way.

PDC-NT believe that societal issues such as these should always be addressed in a transparent manner, in order to encourage and facilitate input from the sector/s that are affected most by these issues.

It is timely that PDC-NT submit the following submission on the 'Notice of Inquiry – Accessibility of Election Procedures for /to People with Disabilities.'
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Issue:

Access to premises and electoral procedures to execute voting rights with dignity.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in July 1999 stated that "More than 1 in 10 Australians – over 2 million people – reported one or more physical impairments or disabling conditions, resulting in one or more activity limitations, in 1993."

This means that lack of Equal Access to voting venues and provision of support for people with physical disabilities in Election Procedures is a major issue to a significant proportion of the Australian population. This does not, however, take into account the number of frail and elderly Australians who also experience mobility restrictions and who also wish to execute their right to vote in an election. So the numbers of people who cannot or have difficulties grows larger as we speak. Therefore we have a significant majority group rather than what is assumed as a specific minority group.

The Position of the Physical Disability Council of Northern Territory Inc is:

As an Australian citizen it is compulsory to vote by law, therefor it should be compulsory by law to provide facilities that accommodate every voter as per the DDA.

Voting is compulsory in Australia unlike many other countries and people with physical disabilities are voters too.

It is for this reason that we have the RIGHT to participate in the same voting process and manner as other Australians, whether it be Local Government, State, Territory or Federal elections.

It is no longer good enough for Authorities to assume that people with disabilities are satisfied to cast a postal vote in place of participating in the societal norm of attending polling booths in a designated area, nor is it equitable. All Australians should have the opportunity to be provided with options that will meet their needs.

Postal Voting should be viewed as an option only, in the same way that all Australians should be able to choose to attend their local church, school, community hall or facility in order to cast a vote. Postal voting should not be offered in place of equal access to facilities in the local community.

The opportunity to vote and decide on the future of our Country, State, Territory or Local Community is a fundamental RIGHT for all Australians.

Current Situation:
 
 

• Many Polling venues are totally inaccessible or have limited access, though often it is claimed they are
• In a venue that happens to be accessible there is often no support for people with physical disabilities who cannot hold papers and pens
• Often the accessible venues are a considerable distance from a persons home, requiring accessible taxis for transport and subsequently are disappointed when they cannot enter the venue and have wasted a taxi fare which they can ill afford
• In rural and remote communities, many people with physical disabilities travel considerable distances to discover inaccessible voting venues that put their personal dignity at risk
• People with physical disability have been offered assistance outside polling booths, which negates the system of secret voting and is against electoral procedures
• People with physical disabilities have been offered to be "carried up" steps which is seen as an Occupational Health Issue to all parties and is both undignified and dangerous to all concerned and negates the importance of the persons vote

Community Consultation Comments Received:

1. "People with physical disabilities are denied community involvement on Election Day"
2. "I don't feel included in society as an ordinary voting citizen"
3. "Transport is an issue if you have to seek out an accessible polling booth further from home"
4. "This is a RIGHTS issue and people with disabilities have the right to cast their vote in the same way as other voting Australians"
5. "We've raised this issue, time and time again, even contributed to the Electoral Commission Action Plan, but nothing changes."
6. In 1981 this issue was raised, it is still the same 18 years later"
7. "All Polling booths should be accessible, as part of the community resources"
8. "People with disabilities should have the same range of choices as other Australians on where they choose to vote"
9. "Assisting people with disabilities outside polling booths does not allow for a secret vote" and draws unnecessary attention to the voting act
10. "People who select the polling booths claim they are accessible. When they are not!"
11. "Postal votes excludes people with physical disabilities from being included in society"
12. "It is Illegal to take voting papers outside a polling booth yet they do because of lack of access and because it's convenient" What about the correctness of electoral procedures?
13. "This issue sends a clear message to a person with a physical disability that they are not valued as a voting citizen and are second class"
14. "We can't become involved on Election days, with our Political Party as a volunteer, because we cannot access the environment."
15. "There is no guarantee that our vote if done outside is not tampered with"

Who is responsible?

PDC-NT believes that the Australian Electoral Commission, has a responsibility under the DDA (1992) and the Disability Services Act 1986, to ensure that access to voting venues is appropriate, and meets the need of all Australian voters. The Australian Electoral Commission has a responsibility to ascertain what is 'appropriate access' per AS14:28 Standards and not assume that the facility is accessible as perhaps they have been led to believe it is.

STRATEGIES:

1. For the Electoral Office NOT ASSUME TO KNOW WHAT ACCESS IS! check it out as per AS14:28
2. Contact and work in a consultative way with local people in their communities
3. Work with local government, community and relevant others to ensure totally accessible polling booths in all areas
4. Develop and implement an electoral office policy that states that all polling booths must be accessible.
5. To develop policy that ensures accessible venues are used
6. Ensure that contractual arrangements and payments for Polling Booth provision takes into consideration accessibility of environment
7. Access audits by suitably qualified person to be undertaken on venues that have been traditionally utilised in the past, including proposed and/or new venues

ACTIONS REQUIRED

• Accessible Venues for Voting across Australia, no ifs or buts
• A delegated staff member to assist people with disabilities and older persons who require assistance
• Positive affirmation by electoral officers that all poling booths are accessible. (change attitudes re use of current polling booths, which are believed to be accessible when they are not)
• Advertise accessible polling booths in all literature and hand outs
• That the Electoral Office recognises that the lack of complaints does not equal "no problem". People have just become worn out by arguing with the system and getting no where.

Contributors: