[nfb-talk] 2006 Election Marks a New Plateau of EqualityfortheBlind

dianefilipe at peoplepc.com dianefilipe at peoplepc.com
Wed Nov 8 16:38:40 CST 2006 

Howdy everyone!
I was the first in the county to use ours, and they couldn't get the volume
to work, so my Mom ended up helping me.
Better luck next time!
Diane 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Catherine Close
Date: 11/7/2006 3:16:49 PM
To: 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] 2006 Election Marks a New Plateau of
EqualityfortheBlind
 
I am happy to report that I had a great voting experience here in western
Pennsylvania.  I also discovered that the Ivotronics machine must have been
improved because I had more ability to bypass things than was indicated on
the NFB video.  I am past 50 and I was as excited as a kid!!
 
  It took about fifteen minutes to vote, and it would take much less next
time because I did listen to the instructions once this time just to have
the experience.
 
I called the NFB hotline to report my positive experience.  At first the
poll workers did say it was faster to just have someone help, but I said no,
I wanted to do it myself, and they were fine with that.  When I was finished
they were as excited as I was.
 
Cathy
 
-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of David Andrews
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 1:38 PM
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org; nfb-talk at nfbnet.org; nfb-announce at nfbnet.org;
blindlaw at nfbnet.org; nabs-l at nfbnet.org; rehab at nfbnet.org;
teachvib at nfbnet.org; nobe-l at nfbnet.org; blparent at nfbnet.org;
blindkid at nfbnet.org; napub at nfbnet.org; nabop at nfbnet.org; nfbcs at nfbnet.org;
gui-talk at nfbnet.org; electronics-talk at nfbnet.org; nagdu at nfbnet.org;
nyagdu at nfbnet.org; nabentre at nfbnet.org; nfb-db at nfbnet.org; nosb at nfbnet.org;
nfbpnotk at nfbnet.org; promotion-technology at nfbnet.org;
journalists at nfbnet.org; nfb-science at nfbnet.org; musictlk at nfbnet.org;
nfb-cars at nfbnet.org; nfbf-l at nfbnet.org; 4alabama at nfbnet.org;
tn-talk at nfbnet.org; nfbofnc at nfbnet.org; greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org;
la-students at nfbnet.org; oabs at nfbnet.org; il-talk at nfbnet.org;
iabs-talk at nfbnet.org; nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org; mi-abs at nfbnet.org;
mn-abs at nfbnet.org; mt-blind at nfbnet.org; nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org;
nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org; nfb-hi at nfbnet.org; cabs-talk at nfbnet.org;
arizona-students at nfbnet.org; nfbc-info at nfbnet.org; nfbsf at nfbnet.org;
nfb-river-city at nfbnet.org; nfb-reno-l at nfbnet.org;
nebraska-students at nfbnet.org; nfbmo at nfbnet.org; mabs at nfbnet.org;
colorado-talk at nfbnet.org; ccb-alumni at nfbnet.org;
nfb-newsline-sponsors at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfb-talk] 2006 Election Marks a New Plateau of Equality forthe
Blind
 
 
>
>Reminder - call the NFB at 877-632-1940 on election day if you
>encounter any problems while voting.  Also, included below is an NFB
>press release that was distributed on Friday.
>
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
>
>CONTACT:
>
>John G. Paré Jr.
>
>Director of Public Relations
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>(410) 659-9314, extension 2371
>
>(410) 913-3912 (Cell)
>
&gt;jpare at nfb.org <mailto:jpare at nfb.org>
>
>
>2006 Election Marks a New Plateau of Equality for the Blind
>
>
>
>
>Baltimore, Maryland (November 3, 2006): In all
>that has been said about the coming election,
>one largely overlooked fact is that the voting
>experience of the blind will be private for the first time in history.
>
>
>
>James Gashel, Executive Director for Strategic
>initiatives at the National Federation of the
>Blind, commented, "I have been voting in every
>single election since 1968, and never once have
>I been able to cast a secret ballot in a general
>or presidential election.  For me, voting was
>never a welcoming experience, but rather
>tension-filled and stressful, as I struggled
>with the numerous restrictions of being a blind
>voter; from the difficulty of finding a person
>to accompany me to the polling area to wondering
>how I would be treated upon arrival."
>
>
>
>Voting, like so many other interactions with the
>printed word in the life of the blind, required
>some assistance from a sighted person, or in
>some cases, several sighted people.  Prior to a
>1982 federal requirement that allowed the blind
>to take a trusted individual of their choosing
>into the voting booth, blind people who showed
>up at the polls unaccompanied by a family member
>or trusted friend had to be watched by at least
>three other people.  A supposedly neutral poll
>worker was needed to mark the blind voter's
>ballot, and one observer from each political
>party went behind the curtain as well to make
>sure the poll worker didn't cheat.  Eileen
>Rivera-Ley, of Baltimore, once commented about
>her time in the voting booth: "It's like a party
>in there."  Obviously, the result of this ritual
>was that the blind voter's ballot was never
>secret, and sometimes revealed to more than one
>person, none of whom the voter knew particularly
>well or had any reason to trust.  And according
>to some blind voters, poll workers and partisan
>election monitors sometimes took the opportunity
>to make a last-minute effort to influence the
>blind voter's decision.  "You're voting for who? Are you sure?"
>
>
>
>The Help America Vote Act, enacted in 2002,
>mandates that each polling place in America have
>at least one voting device that a blind person
>can use without assistance.  Most voting
>machines implement this requirement with an
>audio ballot, which reads each contest to the
>voter, who then makes choices by pushing buttons
>on a keypad instead of touching a screen or
>marking a paper ballot with a pencil.
>
>
>
>The opportunity of every American to a secret
>ballot is not only a matter of individual
>privacy; it is one of the many ways to insulate
>voters from undue influence and to protect the
>entire election process from fraud.  Gashel
>added, "on Tuesday, November 7, for the first
>time ever, I will proudly go to my polling place
>to cast my vote unaccompanied and unassisted,
>with the knowledge that a new plateau in
>equality for the blind has been reached."
>
>
>
>Reminder - call the NFB at 877-632-1940 on
>election day if you encounter any problems while voting.
>
>
 
David Andrews and white cane Harry.
 
 
_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
 
_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
 
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v\:* { BEHAVIOR: url (#default#vml) }
Howdy everyone!
I was the first in the county to use ours, and they couldn't get the volume to work, so my Mom ended up helping me.
Better luck next time!
Diane 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From:
mailto:cgclose at earthlink.net Catherine Close
Date:
11/7/2006 3:16:49 PM
To:
mailto:nfb-talk at nfbnet.org 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
Subject:
Re: [nfb-talk] 2006 Election Marks a New Plateau of EqualityfortheBlind
 
I am happy to report that I had a great voting experience here in western
Pennsylvania.  I also discovered that the Ivotronics machine must have been
improved because I had more ability to bypass things than was indicated on
the NFB video.  I am past 50 and I was as excited as a kid!!
 
  It took about fifteen minutes to vote, and it would take much less next
time because I did listen to the instructions once this time just to have
the experience.
 
I called the NFB hotline to report my positive experience.  At first the
poll workers did say it was faster to just have someone help, but I said no,
I wanted to do it myself, and they were fine with that.  When I was finished
they were as excited as I was.
 
Cathy
 
-----Original Message-----
From: mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[ mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
] On
Behalf Of David Andrews
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 1:38 PM
To: mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org blindtlk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfb-talk at nfbnet.org nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfb-announce at nfbnet.org nfb-announce at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:blindlaw at nfbnet.org blindlaw at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nabs-l at nfbnet.org nabs-l at nfbnet.org
; mailto:rehab at nfbnet.org rehab at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:teachvib at nfbnet.org teachvib at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nobe-l at nfbnet.org nobe-l at nfbnet.org
; mailto:blparent at nfbnet.org blparent at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:blindkid at nfbnet.org blindkid at nfbnet.org
; mailto:napub at nfbnet.org napub at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nabop at nfbnet.org nabop at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfbcs at nfbnet.org nfbcs at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:gui-talk at nfbnet.org gui-talk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:electronics-talk at nfbnet.org electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org nagdu at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:nyagdu at nfbnet.org nyagdu at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nabentre at nfbnet.org nabentre at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfb-db at nfbnet.org nfb-db at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nosb at nfbnet.org nosb at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:nfbpnotk at nfbnet.org nfbpnotk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:promotion-technology at nfbnet.org promotion-technology at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:journalists at nfbnet.org journalists at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfb-science at nfbnet.org nfb-science at nfbnet.org
; mailto:musictlk at nfbnet.org musictlk at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:nfb-cars at nfbnet.org nfb-cars at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfbf-l at nfbnet.org nfbf-l at nfbnet.org
; mailto:4alabama at nfbnet.org 4alabama at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:tn-talk at nfbnet.org tn-talk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfbofnc at nfbnet.org nfbofnc at nfbnet.org
; mailto:greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:la-students at nfbnet.org la-students at nfbnet.org
; mailto:oabs at nfbnet.org oabs at nfbnet.org
; mailto:il-talk at nfbnet.org il-talk at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:iabs-talk at nfbnet.org iabs-talk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:mi-abs at nfbnet.org mi-abs at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:mn-abs at nfbnet.org mn-abs at nfbnet.org
; mailto:mt-blind at nfbnet.org mt-blind at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfb-hi at nfbnet.org nfb-hi at nfbnet.org
; mailto:cabs-talk at nfbnet.org cabs-talk at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:arizona-students at nfbnet.org arizona-students at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfbc-info at nfbnet.org nfbc-info at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfbsf at nfbnet.org nfbsf at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:nfb-river-city at nfbnet.org nfb-river-city at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfb-reno-l at nfbnet.org nfb-reno-l at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:nebraska-students at nfbnet.org nebraska-students at nfbnet.org
; mailto:nfbmo at nfbnet.org nfbmo at nfbnet.org
; mailto:mabs at nfbnet.org mabs at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:colorado-talk at nfbnet.org colorado-talk at nfbnet.org
; mailto:ccb-alumni at nfbnet.org ccb-alumni at nfbnet.org
;
mailto:nfb-newsline-sponsors at nfbnet.org nfb-newsline-sponsors at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfb-talk] 2006 Election Marks a New Plateau of Equality forthe
Blind
 
 
>
>Reminder - call the NFB at 877-632-1940 on election day if you
>encounter any problems while voting.  Also, included below is an NFB
>press release that was distributed on Friday.
>
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
>
>CONTACT:
>
>John G. Paré Jr.
>
>Director of Public Relations
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>(410) 659-9314, extension 2371
>
>(410) 913-3912 (Cell)
>
& mailto:gt;jpare at nfb.org gt;jpare at nfb.org
< mailto:jpare at nfb.org mailto:jpare at nfb.org
>
>
>
>2006 Election Marks a New Plateau of Equality for the Blind
>
>
>
>
>Baltimore, Maryland (November 3, 2006): In all
>that has been said about the coming election,
>one largely overlooked fact is that the voting
>experience of the blind will be private for the first time in history.
>
>
>
>James Gashel, Executive Director for Strategic
>initiatives at the National Federation of the
>Blind, commented, "I have been voting in every
>single election since 1968, and never once have
>I been able to cast a secret ballot in a general
>or presidential election.  For me, voting was
>never a welcoming experience, but rather
>tension-filled and stressful, as I struggled
>with the numerous restrictions of being a blind
>voter; from the difficulty of finding a person
>to accompany me to the polling area to wondering
>how I would be treated upon arrival."
>
>
>
>Voting, like so many other interactions with the
>printed word in the life of the blind, required
>some assistance from a sighted person, or in
>some cases, several sighted people.  Prior to a
>1982 federal requirement that allowed the blind
>to take a trusted individual of their choosing
>into the voting booth, blind people who showed
>up at the polls unaccompanied by a family member
>or trusted friend had to be watched by at least
>three other people.  A supposedly neutral poll
>worker was needed to mark the blind voter's
>ballot, and one observer from each political
>party went behind the curtain as well to make
>sure the poll worker didn't cheat.  Eileen
>Rivera-Ley, of Baltimore, once commented about
>her time in the voting booth: "It's like a party
>in there."  Obviously, the result of this ritual
>was that the blind voter's ballot was never
>secret, and sometimes revealed to more than one
>person, none of whom the voter knew particularly
>well or had any reason to trust.  And according
>to some blind voters, poll workers and partisan
>election monitors sometimes took the opportunity
>to make a last-minute effort to influence the
>blind voter's decision.  "You're voting for who? Are you sure?"
>
>
>
>The Help America Vote Act, enacted in 2002,
>mandates that each polling place in America have
>at least one voting device that a blind person
>can use without assistance.  Most voting
>machines implement this requirement with an
>audio ballot, which reads each contest to the
>voter, who then makes choices by pushing buttons
>on a keypad instead of touching a screen or
>marking a paper ballot with a pencil.
>
>
>
>The opportunity of every American to a secret
>ballot is not only a matter of individual
>privacy; it is one of the many ways to insulate
>voters from undue influence and to protect the
>entire election process from fraud.  Gashel
>added, "on Tuesday, November 7, for the first
>time ever, I will proudly go to my polling place
>to cast my vote unaccompanied and unassisted,
>with the knowledge that a new plateau in
>equality for the blind has been reached."
>
>
>
>Reminder - call the NFB at 877-632-1940 on
>election day if you encounter any problems while voting.
>
>
 
David Andrews and white cane Harry.
 
 
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http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
 
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