Polling stations under Oldham Council to have accessible McGonagle Reader for voters with sight loss

Anna Tylor

Dear Editor, 

Like many, I’ll be voting in the local elections on 7 May – but, as someone with sight loss, I know from experience that doing so independently and in secret is far from guaranteed.  

Voting is still an overwhelmingly visual process of reviewing a list and marking a cross in a box. Without the right equipment, many blind and partially sighted people are forced to rely on others to mark our ballot in the way we wish, compromising our privacy and dignity. That simply isn’t good enough in a modern democracy.  

At the 2024 UK General Election only a quarter of blind people said that the current system allowed them to vote independently and in secret.  

Thanks to the work of Oldham Council, polling stations in Oldham will have the McGonagle Reader available on 7 May. RNIB research shows that the combined audio-tactile device is the best accessible voting solution currently available. At a trial RNIB ran in collaboration with the Electoral Commission and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, this device ranked highest with a 93 per cent accuracy rate for casting intended votes.  

This will make a huge difference to voters with sight loss in Oldham and the efforts of Oldham Council will hopefully set an example to other local authorities to improve accessibility for their blind and partially sighted voters at future elections. 

A truly fair election is one where everyone can vote independently and with confidence. On 7 May, blind and partially sighted voters deserve nothing less. 

Sincerely, 

Anna Tylor 

Chair of Trustees at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) 

The views expressed are those of the author of the letter and not those of Oldham Chronicle.