[Colorado-talk] press release from nfbco

[Scott C. LaBarre]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Scott LaBarre, President
NFB of Colorado
Work phone: (303) 504-5979
slabarre at labarrelaw.com


Blind Coloradans Cast First Secret Ballot in History of Colorado Elections

LITTLETON, CO, November 1, 2006:  Scott LaBarre, president of the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB) of Colorado announced today that he and other
blind members of the affiliate will take advantage of the early voting
period to cast their first secret ballot on Thursday, November 2 when the
doors open at 10:00 a.m. at the Webb Municipal Office Building located at
201 W. Colfax Avenue.

Casting a secret ballot is a right most Americans take for granted. However,
until recently this right has not been available for the blind.  Now, for
the first time ever, speech output technology voting machines will make it
possible for blind and visually impaired Coloradans to cast a secret ballot
privately and independently.  This is the first general election since the
implementation date for the accessibility provisions of the Help America
Vote Act (HAVA).

The ability to cast a secret ballot is not only a thrilling experience for
blind voters, it protects our democracy by ensuring that nobody exercises
undue influence over any voter or engages in outright fraud while pretending
to help the blind vote.  A secret vote is just as important for blind voters
as it is for every other American.

NFB president Scott LaBarre, a local attorney, states that many blind voters
across the state and the nation eagerly look forward to being able to choose
this method of voting and will be casting a secret ballot for the first time
in their lives.

About the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado
The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado is an affiliate of the
largest organization of the blind in America, the National Federation of the
Blind.  The NFB of Colorado was chartered in 1955.  The NFB believes the
real problem of blindness is not the lack of eyesight but rather the
misunderstanding and lack of information which exist.  We believe that with
proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to the level of a
physical nuisance.

For more information about the NFB of Colorado please call 303-778-1130 or
go to
www.nfbco.org


About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) led the national effort to make
it possible for the blind to vote independently and in secret. With more
than 50,000 members, the NFB is the largest and most influential membership
organization of blind people in the United States.   The NFB improves blind
people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and
programs encouraging independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading
force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind.  In
January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for
the blind led by the blind.

For more information about the National Federation of the Blind and its work
on access to elections, visit
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/HAVA_intro.asp.




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