Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Elections (Accessibility for Blind Voters) 2025-01-22

22 January 2025 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Julie Minns Lab Carlisle

Democracy & Elections

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Julie Minns raised concerns about elections (accessibility for blind voters) 2025-01-22 in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the need for audio and tactile measures at polling stations for blind voters
  • Calls for a review of postal voting arrangements for blind voters
  • Statistics from Scope's 'Polls Apart' report cited, showing 94% of polling stations were inaccessible to disabled people in 1997

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Julie Minns Lab Carlisle

Moves to require audio and tactile measures at polling stations for blind voters, calls for a review of postal voting arrangements, and highlights the ongoing issues faced by blind voters despite previous reforms. She cites statistics from Scope's 'Polls Apart' report showing that in 1997, 94% of polling stations were inaccessible to disabled people. The lead MP also shares a local example involving John, who had difficulty casting his vote independently at last year’s general election and resorted to asking the clerk for assistance.

Other contributors (1)
  • Julie Minns Lab Carlisle

    Calls for audio and tactile measures such as tactile overlays placed on top of ballot papers combined with an audio recording, highlighting that these solutions are low-cost and effective. Mentions a UK trial where 93% of participants were able to vote independently and in secret using these methods.

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