Make voting accessible to all

Utah has made considerable strides toward improving the physical accessibility of the state's polling places in recent months. Then again, there was much room for improvement. A 2004 survey by the Disability Law Center determined that just 5.6 percent of the state's polling places were fully accessible to people with disabilities. Worse yet, the center identified 150,000 Utahns with disabilities who could have voted in 2000 — but didn't.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires all polling locations to be accessible by the 2006 general election. While not all of Utah's polling places now meet the requirements, the DLC, county clerks and the governor's office are collaborating to address these issues.

Some of the fixes have been minor modifications such as moving a rubber mat from a doorway or re-striping a parking lot. Other improvements may be more substantial such as building a temporary ramps or relocating polling places all together. Whatever the case, Utah needs to comply with the Help America Vote Act because it's the law and because it's the right thing to do. The government has a responsibility to ensure that all eligible voters can cast a ballot on Election Day.

In Salt Lake County, eight polling places will need to be relocated because of accessibility issues. Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen says the Avenues area of Salt Lake City presents particular challenges because of steep slopes and grades around many buildings.

One side benefit of ensuring polling places are accessible on Election Day is that they will remain accessible the rest of the year, too. It means they will be accessible to people who are pushing baby strollers and people who have suffered injuries who are temporarily using crutches or even a wheelchair.

While the Americans with Disabilities Act has made great strides in requiring public buildings and businesses to be accessible, people with disabilties continue to encounter barriers that may seem minor to an able-bodied person. For instance, a 2-inch lip on an entryway can render a building inaccessible. If that building is a polling place, the person in a wheel chair is precluded from voting on election day.

The combined efforts of Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert's office, county clerks and the Disability Law Center are laudable. Much has been accomplished but more work lies ahead in meeting the 2006 general election deadline.