[Nfbc-info] Where was the NFBC on the new inaccessible online voterregistration?

[Claude Everett]

Someone was asleep at the switch, when this was evaluated. 


Regards,
Claude Everett
"I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does
absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions
of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their
lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence." 
Eugene Victor Debs  
-----Original Message-----
From: nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Paul Wick
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 9:21 PM
To: nfbc-info at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbc-info] Where was the NFBC on the new inaccessible online
voterregistration?

All,

Just saw this, and was wondering if the NFBC has/will send a letter to
Secretary of State Bowen regarding the new online voting system's lack of
JAWS compadibility.

Best,

Paul
***************************************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:

Teresa Favuzzi
California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
Phone: 916-832-6233
E-Mail: Teresa at cfilc.org

Andrew Mudryk
Disability Rights California
Phone: 916-601-8987
E-Mail: Andrew.Mudryk at disabilityrightsca.org

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Advocacy groups alarmed that California's new online voting registration is
inaccessible to people with disabilities

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - While many Californians applauded the Secretary of
State's launch of the California Online Voter Registration (COVR) website
last week, the disability community is concerned that the new system
excludes individuals who use screen readers from completing the registration
process.   Immediately following the launch of www.registertovote.com
<http://www.registertovote.com/> , disability advocates with expertise in
assistive technology tested the website and found that it was incompatible
with JAWS, the most commonly used screen reader for people who are blind and
visually impaired.  Members of the Assistive Technology Network (ATNet) and
the Systems Change Network (SCNet) at California Foundation for Independent
Living Centers (CFILC) tested the site and then reached out to technical
professionals and people with disabilities to test the website with a
variety of browsers and versions of JAWS for a complete analysis.  Teresa
Favuzzi of CFILC noted, "Multiple testers were unable to complete the
registration process; we believe the failure to ensure the accessibility of
the on-line system violates the law."

On National Voter Registration Day on September 25 several advocacy groups,
including Disability Rights California (DRC), California Council of the
Blind, the CFILC, Disability Rights Advocates, Disability Rights Education
and Defense Fund, and the Disability Rights Legal Center, have asked the
California Secretary of State's office, the agency in charge of elections,
to immediately fix the accessibility problems and are awaiting their
response.  With less than six weeks until Election Day, two weeks until mail
voting begins, and the looming October 22 voter registration deadline just
27 days away, ensuring that Californians with disabilities can register to
vote using the same technology as other citizens is critical to their equal
and full participation in the 2012 elections.

Earlier this year at Disability Capitol Action Day in Sacramento, one of the
nation's largest advocacy events, the keynote speaker, Secretary of State
Debra Bowen, said, "I want to make the elections process as accessible as
possible."  She also described the Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee
(VAAC) set up by her office to improve access to the polls for voters with
disabilities.  A Committee member said VAAC had not been consulted about the
new electronic registration process.

On September 21 the National Disability Rights Network, based in Washington,
D.C., issued a press release pointing out that people with disabilities are
voting in greater numbers with every election.  Based on a recent study by
Rutgers University, 14.7 million Americans with a disability voted in 2008,
up from 10.9 million in 2000.  An estimated 35 million people with
disabilities are eligible to vote in 2012 and could have a decisive impact
on outcomes.  The increase can be attributed to various factors, but
progress in making the process more accessible has been crucial.

"We expect the Secretary of State's office to quickly address the technical
issues to ensure Californians with disabilities can participate equally in
online registration," stated Andrew Mudryk of DRC.

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