Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, December 14, 2001

\EWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Rood, Suit* 304 LurH.rv.ll., Могу lond 2 1 093 3 1 5 Cannon Нои». Office Building Woihinglon, O.C 20515 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Heniy Fawell Friday, December 14, 2001 202/225-3061 Ehrlich Amendment To Provide Voting Technology For the Blind Is Adopted By House of Representatives WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Bob Ehrlich’s (MD-2) amendment to assure private and independent use of assistive voting technology by the blind community was adopted this week as part of HR. 3295, The Help America Vote Act of 2001. H.R. 3295 was passed by the House of Representatives by a 362-63 vote. Congressman Ehrlich stated, “I was pleased to introduce this important amendment, which is a fair, honest, and inexpensive solution to the disadvantages facing the blind community at the voting booth.” In recent years, voting system manufacturers have modified their products for easier use by the blind community. Unfortunately, current law does not require that voting systems that are purchased with federal funds be accessible to the blind. Without congressional action, the current voting process would leave blind voters at a perpetual disadvantage. Specifically, the Ehrlich amendment clarifies current law, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1982 (ADA), to include blindness in the legal definition of physical disabilities that warrant assistive voting technology. In other words, voting systems purchased under H.R. 3295 would be required to include voting systems that allow for their private and independent by the blind. James McCarthy, Assistant Director of Government Relations for the Blind, stated, “The National Federation of the Blind appreciates Representative Ehrlich’s hard work in sponsoring the blind amendment to the Help America Vote Act. If the blind were left out of election reform now, due to the high cost of retrofitting voting technology, it could be many years if ever before we could vote privately and independently.” ###