20 March 2000

Mr Graeme Innes
Deputy Disability Commissioner

Dear Mr Innes

I am writing in response to the Victorian Electoral Commission's submission to HREOC's inquiry into the accessibility of elections for people with a disability.

I am particularly concerned with VEC's treatment of the issue of preparing ballot papers in alternative formats for people who are blind and vision-impaired.

VEC's submission contains the following statement:

"VEC has received no complaints about this matter"

This statement is untrue.

In the months leading up to the 1999 State Election I wrote to VEC to ask it to consider preparing ballot papers in Braille or on disk; my correspondence did not receive any response.

I regret that I do not have a copy of the letter I sent to VEC.

I also telephoned VEC and discussed this issue with a member of staff; this was some time ago, so I am not entirely sure of his name, but I think it was Paul Thornton-Smith. In any event, the staff member I spoke to advised that VEC would not prepare ballot papers in Braille because this would constitute a breech of some unspecified piece of legislation.

I also wrote to Ms Rosemary Varty MLC, former Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet, about my concerns. Her reply to my correspondence stressed that VEC was an independent body and that therefore the former Government would be unable to provide any assistance, but she advised that she would forward my concerns on to VEC for consideration.

I put it to you that VEC's claim that it has received no complaints about preparing ballot papers in alternative formats is simply untrue. It is more accurate to say that VEC has received a number of complaints, but has failed to treat them seriously.

I remain optimistic that VEC will improve its performance in the future; VEC is correct when it asserts that it has worked constructively with the Vision Australia Foundation to make the democratic process a little more accessible for blind and vision-impaired Victorians, but it still has some way to travel.

I should like to add that I do not accept VEC's view that the ability to provide ballot papers in Braille is limited by the short time frame of State and Council elections.

The Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind provides a very professional transcription service for blind and vision-impaired Victorians who require printed materials in alternative formats. It is by no means beyond their capacity to produce ballot papers in Braille well within the time frame associated with State and Council elections.

Australians without a print disability are entitled to a secret ballot, and they are also able to vote free from coercion or undue influence. It is my sincere hope that AEC and VEC will extend this opportunity to the rest of the community in the very near future.

At some future date I would like the above concerns to form the basis of a complaint against VEC under the DDA or equivalent Victorian legislation; I would welcome any advice HREOC could provide to me in order to make this so.

Yours sincerely
Sean Tyrell