Deaf voter in Burnaby, B.C., highlights inaccessibility for voting in person

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 19, 2025 4:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A deaf elector who precocious moved to Burnaby, B.C., says Elections Canada should bash much to accommodate those who request interpreters to formed their ballot successful person.

Yat Li has been deaf since birth, and says helium tried to petition an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter to assistance him ballot during beforehand voting for the national election, which began connected Friday.

But the Burnaby antheral says that, portion helium was heartened to spot Elections Canada placing accessibility accusation prominently connected its website, helium faced a six-day hold to person an interpreter travel him to formed his ballot.

Li says Elections Canada should bash much to amended accessibility for those who are hard of proceeding and request to ballot successful person.

WATCH | B.C. elector says accessibility for deaf radical a concern: 

"I deliberation six days is simply a small spot excessively much," helium told CBC News. "A polling presumption could perchance adjacent integrate video relay services, truthful that idiosyncratic who does necessitate [an] interpreter doesn't request six days' beforehand notice."

Li besides says the signifier to petition an interpreter had a batch of hoops to leap through.

"I deliberation determination could beryllium an accidental to streamline the integer entree process for folks who are deaf and hard of hearing, and for anyone with immoderate different disablement arsenic good too," helium said.

"Given how, you know, we request to guarantee there's a barrier-free nine for Canadians."

Vinu Abraham Chetipurackal, a deaf accessibility advisor based successful Vancouver, says deaf-blind voters person told him that polling workers whitethorn not beryllium trained to pass efficaciously with those that can't hear.

"Voting by message and online voting don't relationship for deaf-blind accessibility — for example, deficiency of surface scholar compatibility oregon unclear ballot formatting," helium told CBC News successful an email.

Screen readers are bundle programs that crook substance into audio for unsighted oregon partially unsighted people. 

Elections Canada asks for feedback

James Hale, an Elections Canada spokesperson, says the non-partisan elections assemblage has been moving connected accessibility for years.

A 2024 update from Elections Canada lists its efforts to amended accessibility, including consultation with assorted disablement advocacy groups for ASL and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ).

"Given the shortage of ASL/LSQ interpreters crossed the country, it would beryllium highly hard to unit capable interpreter positions to marque specified a work disposable astatine polling locations and section [Elections Canada] offices," the organization's 2024 advancement study states.

"The participants besides noted that mentation services should beryllium saved for those who necessitate exigency services."

Make definite your assigned polling presumption meets your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/accessibility?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#accessibility</a> needs. Check your elector accusation paper oregon participate your postal codification successful our Voter Information Service: <a href="https://t.co/ppzliUJ0IM">https://t.co/ppzliUJ0IM</a> <a href="https://t.co/Lh8kjiZsVr">pic.twitter.com/Lh8kjiZsVr</a>

Hale says voters who aren't already accommodated tin petition peculiar disablement provisions by dialling 1-800-361-8935. 

"If electors person an acquisition that they privation to stock with us, you know, either affirmative oregon negative, we privation to perceive from them," helium added, pointing to an online feedback form. 

Advance voting runs from April 18-21, and mail-in ballots indispensable beryllium requested by April 22. Election Day is April 28.