Voting barriers and solutions: the experiences of people with disabilities during the Dutch national election in 2017

Abstract

Exercising the right to vote at elections is frequently denied to people with disabilities. In this study, we examined the voting behaviour of individuals with physical or learning impairments and the barriers they encountered during the national elections in 2017 in the Netherlands. A survey design was chosen to allow large-scale questioning of both target groups. Over 90% of people with physical impairments voted and respondents found that voting was accessible. Voter turnout among people with learning impairments was much lower (46%). They experienced difficulty to prepare themselves and at the polling station. The Netherlands seems well on the way to achieving an inclusive environment for people with physical impairments. Recommendations are given about accessibility for all and for exploring alternative methods of voting such as proxy voting and tailoring information and procedures to the needs of people with learning impairments.

Keywords:

• Human rights
• disability
• political participation
• national elections
• accessibility
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Acknowledgements

This article draws on data from a study that was commissioned by the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. The authors wish to thank all of the respondents who were willing to participate in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The NPCD is a panel that represents people with chronic illness or physical impairment in the Netherlands. The NPCD is registered with the Dutch Data Protection Authority. All data are collected and handled according to the privacy protection guidelines of the Authority. As of 2017, the total panel consists of 3998 people aged over 15 years with one or more chronic disease and/or physical impairment. Participants with physical impairments within this panel were recruited from data provided by Statistics Netherlands. The severity of the physical impairments was measured with self-reported scales that indicate the difficulty in performing activities due to motor limitations. Individuals who experience difficulty in their daily activities but can perform all of these activities without assistance are then categorized as having a moderate physical impairment. Individuals who need assistance with one or more of the daily activities listed are referred to as having a severe physical impairment.

2 The Living Together panel consists of 349 relatives of people with a mild or moderate learning impairment. Panel members are recruited through general practitioners and health institutes providing care and support for individuals with learning impairments. The panel uses the definition of learning impairment as stated by the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in 2002 (American Association on Mental Retardation 2002). According to the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, intellectual disability is a disability that occurs before age 18 years. It is characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning as demonstrated by an IQ test score of around 70 or as high as 75. Activity limitations have been shown in social skills, activities of daily living, relaxation, work and school tasks.

3 Population estimates regarding sex, age and severity of disability are not available for individuals with physical impairments in the Netherlands (Hoeymans et al. 2012). Numbers for the NPCD differ from the general population in terms of severity as the panel contains a lower percentage of individuals with mild physical impairment than the general population. No population estimates are available for educational level and living situation. Population estimates are based on the panel in previous years; in this study they are based on numbers from 2009. For individuals with learning impairments, the population estimate is based on three prevalence studies, conducted and reported in Dutch. This provides various estimates on sex, age and severity of impairment. It is impossible to define a population estimate for the living situation since this is strongly related to the severity of impairment.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, Utrecht, the Netherlands.