By Kara Madden
Chicago’s majority-black wards have a lower percentage of accessible polling locations for disabled voters than in other areas, shows a Chicago Reporter analysis of data from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners and Census 2000.
Of 1,140 polling places located in the city’s 20 majority-black wards, more than a quarter, or 27.2 percent, are not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In comparison, 21.3 percent of voting locations in majority-white wards are not accessible for disabled voters. And majority-Latino wards have 17.2 percent of inaccessible voting locations.
In Chicago, there were more than 1.3 million registered voters as of February, according to the election board. More than 577,000 of these voters lived in black wards, while 375,000 and 212,500 voters lived in white and Latino wards, respectively.
This means that accessible polling places exist at a rate of one per 696 registered voters in black wards. In white and Latino wards, the rate was one per 679 and 590 voters, respectively.
To be considered accessible, a polling place has to be equipped with things such as a walkway that is at least three feet wide, ramps with skid-resistant surfaces and elevators no smaller than five square feet.
In 15th Ward, only 51.9 percent of polling locations—the lowest among the city’s 50 wards—are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Located on the city’s South Side, the ward is predominantly black and includes community areas of Chicago Lawn and West Englewood.
On the other hand, four wards—2nd, 10th, 42nd and 46th—have all their voting locations accessible for disabled voters. Located on Near North Side, the 42nd Ward had predominantly white population, while the 46th ward on the North Side had a mixed population. The 2nd Ward, which blankets near South and West sides, is majority-black. The 10th Ward, located on the Far South Side, is majority-Latino.
Mark Karner, director of advocacy at the Progress Center for Independent Living, said the board of elections needs to step up, noting that the Americans with Disabilities Act passed back in 1990. “It’s long past time that they complied. There’s no reason any more that there should be an inaccessible polling place,” he said. “If a polling place they have is not accessible, then they need to move it to a different polling place.”
Jim Allen, spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, said officials are trying to improve, but their efforts are sometimes hampered by “the availability of accessible buildings in and around that precinct.”
“We’re constantly looking to improve the 100 percent accessibility,” he said.
Contributing: Fernando Díaz and Laura Burns.
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