Improving Accessibility for Voters With Disabilities
For its "A Simple (Accessible) Path for All" initiative which included Accessible Polling Place Location and Equipment (APPLE) class and kits, provide instruction on establishing and maintaining accessible polling places, and since its launch in January 2018, has been taken by more than 700 election workers, nearly half of the county’s total Election Day volunteers.
Contra Costa County conducts a survey of each of its 268 polling places after every election and is often able to identify ways to improve the accessibility of these locations. Following the November 2016, Contra Costa County Clerk, Recorder and Registrar Joseph Canciamilla realized improvements could be made how election workers were trained to create a welcoming environment for all voters and the county created the Accessible Polling Place Location and Equipment (APPLE) class. This class brought a fresh approach to accessibility training because it placed election workers in the shoes of voters who may need assistance to provide instruction on establishing accessible polling places and ensuring they remained accessible throughout the day. The county also provided an Accessibility Kit to give election workers further information on how to remove any accessibility barriers at their polling place. More than 700 election workers, nearly half of the county’s total Election Day volunteers, have taken the class since it was launched in January 2018.
