Got accessibility issues with voting? Here's what you might need to know

John Loeppky · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 26, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Karthik Babu Menon is acceptable to ballot successful his first-ever national election, but he's not conscionable reasoning astir however to people his ballot, but besides astir the imaginable challenges helium mightiness look successful getting into the voting booth.

In erstwhile elections, he's recovered voting reasonably accessible arsenic idiosyncratic who uses a walker to get astir Saskatoon, but helium thinks there's inactive ways to marque voting adjacent easier, for instance, by getting escaped of pencil and insubstantial voting.

"I would decidedly similar thing which has interaction technology, similar interaction screens," helium said, explaining helium was calved with cerebral palsy and tin conflict with dexterity with his hands, arsenic good arsenic with musculus power and coordination with his legs. 

Babu Menon isn't conscionable acquainted with accessibility issues from a idiosyncratic perspective. He besides works arsenic a lawsuit services coordinator astatine Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan, and knows that clients tin person a hard clip getting retired to voting stations.

"My clients, a batch of them usage entree transit. With Access Transit, you person to publication successful beforehand to go; there's immoderate times they can't get trips going retired to polls," helium said, adding helium knows immoderate radical with disabilities whitethorn similar to message successful their ballot, but that's not ever the case.

"Some of them similar going retired to vote, conscionable workout [their] right."

Across the voting landscape, voters with disabilities look a fig of barriers that aren't conscionable tied to whether a polling determination has an accessible doorway opener oregon wide capable doorway frames — two of the 15 criteria Elections Canada uses to find a polling station's accessibility. 

Research done by Elections Canada has recovered that disabled electors are little apt to ballot than those without disabilities, little apt to cognize astir alternate methods of voting, and that those with disabilities are importantly little apt to beryllium contented with the accusation provided surrounding the election.

Marie-France Kenny, a determination media advisor with Elections Canada, said that the authorities bureau is committed to ensuring that voters with disabilities person the champion acquisition they can.

Elections organizers and workers person tried to amended entree implicit time, erstwhile it comes to making definite radical tin ballot adjacent to home, that the abstraction is accessible and that everyone has the tools to vote. 

"It's an ongoing process," she said, adding that the enactment is unfastened to feedback.

"So, if time idiosyncratic comes retired with a superb thought connected however to marque it much accessible, past of course, Elections Canada volition analyse and volition implement, if it's a feasible solution." 

Part of that process has coincided with the passing of the Accessible Canada Act, the instauration of an advisory radical successful 2014, and the improvement of aggregate advancement reports to guarantee voting is accessible. 

Some voters won't adjacent person to permission their location to vote. A fig of semipermanent attraction facilities volition person polling stations connected predetermination day, including astatine Sherbrooke Community Centre.

"The information that we tin person a polling presumption present astatine Sherbrooke for 12 hours connected predetermination time is beauteous fantastic," said Eric Anderson, communications person astatine the centre, adding this volition marque it easier and much accessible for the facility's 263 residents to vote.

Another installation administrated by Sherbrooke, Central Haven Special Care Home, which is location to 60 people, volition besides person a two-hour voting model connected Monday.   

"Voices of residents successful semipermanent attraction substance … and they should beryllium heard," Anderson said, "And we admit it erstwhile candidates bash driblet by to present themselves and to inquire questions and, astir importantly, perceive to residents."

How to find accessibility information

Elections Canada has a conception of its website dedicated to accessibility, including areas describing the tools and services available, what makes a polling presumption accessible successful the eyes of the organization, what supports you tin get should you request assistance from idiosyncratic other to formed your ballot, and video contented that is disposable successful American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ). Information astir the predetermination successful wide is besides disposable successful aggregate formats. 

Other communal accessibility options disposable for voters see entree to antithetic penning implements, magnifiers, entree to predetermination unit who tin enactment the casting of a ballot, and a process should a elector request carnal enactment from a friend, household member, oregon enactment person.

In that case, the idiosyncratic supporting is asked to motion a written declaration. A enactment idiosyncratic tin lone assistance 1 voter — who they aren't related to — people their ballot.

Voters who are unsure astir the accessibility level of their polling presumption are urged to telephone 1-800-463-6868. The fig to telephone is 1800-361-8935 if you usage teletype (TTY) services.

While the ceremonial deadline to petition an interpreter successful clip for predetermination time — whether it's for motion connection oregon different connection — was April 22, Kenny said it's inactive worthy calling the fig connected your elector accusation paper to spot if an accommodation is possible. 

As for what to bash should you bump into immoderate issues astatine the polls, oregon if you person suggestions for the future, Kenny said she urges radical to talk to predetermination workers and permission feedback via each station's proposition box.

"I  bash promote radical who bash person a occupation oregon person suggestions to marque them, due to the fact that our extremity is to marque voting accessible to each Canadian electors. And if there's thing we tin bash to amended access, then, by each means, fto america know."