[Nfbc-info] The blind community needs your help on Friday October 11

[Lisamaria Martinez]

Hi All,

On Friday October 11, the blind community needs your help.

It is essential to show Judge Spero just how important it is to the
blind community that we have the right to vote privately and
independently. Despite HAVA and all the technological advances we have
at our fingertips, blind people still face access issues at polling
sites every election.

Several blind individuals (including myself) have filed against
Alameda County stating that this past election they were not able to
cast an independent vote do to multiple problems at the polling sites.

The county of Alameda says that they are compliant and need not do
anything further to allow blind and disabled people to vote privately
and independently. If you are able to attend, if you have friends who
can attend, please be there. It is vital that the court see that we
are very serious about the right to vote privately and independently.
In brief, Alameda County says:

•	Neither the ADA nor the rehabilitation Act guarantee a private and
independent right to vote for people with disabilities. According to
the county, the laws require only that people with disabilities
receive the opportunity to cast a vote. Because I and a handful of
other blind people were able to cast votes by dictating our votes to
others who completed ballots for us, the County satisfied its
obligations under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. I say “Boo.”
•	And here’s what really gets me: The County argues that the
California Elections Code only requires that the County physically
provide accessible voting machines at each poll site. Thus, the
accessible voting machines do not actually need to function.
•	And, since no one disputes that the County physically placed
accessible voting machines at poll sites, the County concludes that it
has satisfied its obligations under the Elections Code.

Can you attend? If so, here are the details about this Friday:

What: Oral arguments concerning the right to vote independently and privately
When: Friday October 11, 2013, at 1:30 pm
Where: U.S. District Court | 450 Golden Gate Avenue | 15th Floor | San
Francisco

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email or
call/text me at 510-289-2577.

Lisamaria Martinez