Beyond ramps: How Australia’s upcoming referendum embraces accessibility

Australia has a referendum in October. It’s our first “proper” referendum since 1999, which was a two-question referendum asking Australians if the country should become a republic (which was defeated with 54% of Australians and all states voting ‘no’).

The referendum scheduled for 14 October 2023 will ask Australians if they want to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

Like elections, voting in referendums is mandatory for all Australian citizens aged 18 and older. Individuals need to register with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) in order to vote, and they’ve done another big push this year to enroll to vote ahead of the vote.

Groups that are more likely to not be enrolled to vote include young people, transient and homeless individuals, Indigenous and remote communities, people with disabilities, migrants and prisoners. This is especially important in this referendum as the outcome affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their representation and political influence.

One reason some people — including people with disabilities and the elderly — may not be enrolled to vote is that the polling process can be inaccessible and a very poor experience for them.

This year I’ve noticed the AEC have done a great job in outlining what accessibility features are available at each location. I’m going to outline what each feature is and why it’s important.

Wheelchair accessible or Assisted wheelchair access

This means that the polling place is designed to allow individuals using wheelchairs to enter and navigate the premises independently, without assistance.

This typically means features like ramps, wide doorways, and accessible voting booths at an appropriate height for someone in a wheelchair.

Assisted wheelchair access suggests that while the polling place may not have all the features to make it fully independent for wheelchair users, there are staff or resources available to provide assistance as needed.

Virtual Auslan interpreter

A virtual Auslan interpreter service is available via the Convo Australia website or through the Convo Australia app. I really love this option, Convo Australia is a very intuitive and personable service. Users can sign up for the Convo Australia app free of charge with an AEC number.

However, it does rely on users having access to hardware and connectivity in order to use — this may not be an option for everyone (I’m also drafting a post on Digital Equity — stay tuned!)

In-person Auslan interpreter

Auslan interpreters assists Deaf and hard-of-hearing voters by using sign language interpretation for spoken instructions, clarifying the voting process, maintaining voter privacy, and communicating with polling officials as needed.

Hearing loop

The adoption of hearing loops has grown in the past few years, due to both an increase in awareness of of the needs of individuals with hearing issues, as well as building/accessibility regulations requiring it.

A hearing loop is a system that broadcasts audio directly to users’ T-coil-equipped hearing aids or cochlear implants. T-coil is simply a technology that is used for hearing aids that allows them to receive sound from compatible audio sources. My dad’s hearing aid has one and it allows him to listen to Fleetwood Mac while playing golf.

Text to speech pen

Some polling places have a text to speech pen. This is a portable device that assists individuals with visual impairments, reading difficulties, or language comprehension by converting printed text into audible speech.

How? It scans printed text with a built-in camera to recognise text, and then using text-to-speech synthesis, converts it into spoken language. The synthesised speech is played back to the user through built-in headphones or a speaker.

This is another great option for individuals to access and understand printed materials independently and in a way that suits them. This technology has grown in the past few years, due to ongoing advancements in OCR (optical character recognition) and text-to-speech technology have improved the accuracy and usability of them.

Alternative voting room

Some polling places offer a separate voting room, which is an accessible and private space for voters with special needs including those with disabilities, mobility challenges, or sensory impairments.

This removes the potential barriers or distractions of the main polling area, and provides a comfortable and accommodating environment for those who need it.

Building access and parking

The polling place descriptions also make note of important building access features, including if:

• There is unimpeded, step-free access to the building or voting area
• The building entrance is on the same level as the travel path from the street
• The path of travel to the building is level, firm, and obstacle free
• and there is seating or a rest area between the site boundary and the premises entrance

Many polling places are established community buildings such as schools, sports halls, town halls, and community centres. With many on main roads and busy urban areas, not all will offer parking.

The AEC also notes at each polling place whether there is accessible parking compliant with Australian standards, designated accessible parking (possibly not compliant with Australian standards), or a vehicle set-down/pick-up area. They also note whether there is public transport available.

Toilets

And of course the loos. AEC notes whether each polling place has Unisex, Male, Female or Accessible toilets available, and if the accessible toilet has grab bars or not.

It’s important to note that the AEC offers (and always has) postal voting, so people that cannot vote in-person can lodge their vote by mail. There is certain eligibility criteria which does include “seriously ill, infirm, or due to give birth shortly (or caring for someone who is)”.

However I personally do not think this goes far enough; in an age where we can do almost all of our government and personal transactions online, why is there not an online polling option for people who need it?

There are swathes of people who would benefit from non-in-person voting that aren’t limited to “seriously ill, infirm, or due to give birth (or caring for someone who is).” People with physical disabilities, mobility issues, carers spring to mind.

With the advances of digital identity and authentication in other government services at state and federal levels it is crazy to think that this is one service that we’re going to keep analog.

Of course past examples have shown that we might still be a way off launching this at scale for all voters (note case studies: 2021 NSW Local Government Elections and Estonia’s eVoting) but this is a plausible option for some users that find in-person voting challenging.