Elections in Spain and Voting by People with Disabilities
By Pedro Fernández González, Solidaridad Digital (Digital Solidarity)
MAY 27, 2003 - The regional and municipal elections of Spain, held on May 25, again evinced the lack of accessibility at many voting sites and the urgent need to introduce changes so all citizens are able to exercise their right to vote.
Ramón Hernández, member of the Board of Directives of the Coordination Organization of Persons with Disabilities of the Community of Madrid (Coordinadora de Minusválidos Físicos de la Comunidad de Madrid) was one of the citizens not able to enter the voting booth.
Because his town, Vallecas, Madrid, respects the Universal Design philosophy Hernández, a retired person of 52 years, did not have any problem arriving at the voting station, which was about 200 meters from his home.
Nevertheless, the school building where the Electoral College was set up, lacked access ramps. Because of this situation, Hernández asked one of his neighbors to explain the situation to a police agent. "Nothing has changed, there is still lack of accessibility at our public buildings."
The front entrance to the school had five big stairs, no access ramp for persons with disabilities, and not even a handrail for senior citizens. Ramón Hernandez reminded us: "The Electoral Colleges has not been complying with the law for more than twelve years."
As things heated up, the Police arrived to meet with the representatives of the political parties, the President of the Voting Table and the delegate of the Electoral College, but they did not come to a satisfactory solution. When the Police suggested to lift him, Hernández told them: "I am not a sack of potatoes and I will not risk a fall or something similar."
The Government Delegate suggested calling an ambulance, so that trained personnel would lift him up and down the stairs. But he told them: "This is aberrant, there are other people needing an ambulance more urgently than just to lift someone up and down the stairs."
Another suggestion was that Hernández would use his identification Card and indicate his vote to the Delegate and this authority would cast the vote for him. Then Hernández rejected the idea: "No one can deprive me of my right to vote personally, in secret, as the Constitution mandates. No one can cast the vote for me."
Finally, the Police, with the permission of all the Electoral Authorities and representatives of the political parties, brought the voting materials and the urns. Then, after another hour of discussion and struggle, Ramón Hernández, a citizen with a physical disability, was able to vote. Nevertheless he could not hide his shame and indignation: "It looked as if I were a beggar."
Ramon Hernández extends his complaint to all political parties: "I hope actions are taken by all concerned. Sometimes it seems as if we are outside of the Constitution, because these things just do not change." He expects things to improve for next elections.
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