"I've heard these stories for years, and it's affected me," she said. "People who can see or don't mind standing in line for 40 minutes can't really understand how hard it can be to have to wait or to have three different judges know how they voted."

Access has been improved in recent years, prompted in part by an audit of polling places throughout the state to determine accessibility, and found that problems did exist, especially in rural areas "where there may only be one building that can be used," she said.

While problems can still be found at government buildings, especially historical courthouses or schools, and at privately owned business or homes that open their doors for voting, state and county officials are trying to address those problems quickly.

"There should be no reason why somebody can't come into a polling place," she said. "If they want to go in and vote, they need to be able to get into the polling location."

Along with the chance to improve access and allow more independent voting, Fraser Nelson, director of the Disability Law Center advocacy group, said that it has also provided a forum for discussion about many of the everyday issues faced by people with disabilities.

"There's a whole host of things that need to be grappled with, and for some communities it has become a great opportunity to improve access," she said.

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com