We would like to thank everyone in the North West region who completed a Polls Apart survey when they went to vote. Particular thanks go to members of Scope’s Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria and the Merseyside, Cheshire and the Isle Of Man Partnership Committees, members of the Campaign’s Network and the staff of the North West Community Team.
The location of the polling station was unacceptable as it lacked a public transport route. I had to walk uphill for almost a mile to enable me to vote. I suffer from chronic chondromalacia patellae and I am epileptic and therefore do not drive. This made it extremely difficult to vote in my area.
Polls Apart 2005 volunteer, Wirral West
Polls Apart: North West (Word Document 69KB)
In general results for the North West region were better than those for the UK as a whole.
The attitudes of polling station staff towards disabled voters and the way staff provide support to vote can make a huge difference to a disabled person’s experience of voting so it was very positive that 94% of polling station staff were helpful and friendly in the North West.
73% of polling station in the North West region had low-level ballot booths compared to 65% nationwide. Low-level ballot booths guarantee privacy for wheelchair users and disabled and older voters who may need to sit down to vote and are one of the simplest ways to improve access at a polling station.
Though the North West performed well in relation to other regions of the UK, 61% of polling stations still failed the Polls Apart basic access test.
63% of polling stations in the North West had level access, compared to 60% UK wide. Though this is a slight improvement on the national results, 40% of polling stations in use in the North West region were only accessible via steps.
This prompts serious questions about the extent to which service providers are complying with the October 2004 Disability Discrimination Act duties. To make matters worse many disabled people reported that many buildings did in fact have ramps or accessible entrances but that these were locked away or not used.
The increase in the use of poorly designed and unsafe ramps suggests that temporary ramps are widely being used as an inappropriate alternative to permanent access adjustments. In the North West 32% of ramps were inappropriate or dangerous, compared to 36% nationally. Though this is above average significant improvements are needed before the next election.
Only 63% of polling stations in the North West had a tactile voting device
compared to 68% nationwide. This is not only a legal requirement it is vital
if people with vital and coordination impairments are to be able to vote independently
and in secret.
Whichever way we look at it access to polling stations in the North West is still poor. 61% of polling stations in the region failed our basic access test. This means that many disabled people in the North West would have found it difficult or impossible to vote at the General Election 2005.
The UK wide Polls Apart 2005 evaluation results were very disappointing revealing
that the number of accessible polling stations has only improved by 1% since
2001. Though the North West region performed better in many areas than the
nationwide average it is clear that significant improvements are still needed
before all disabled people have equal access to the voting process.
