b'Life with MSJust as each disabledvoter has unique wideenoughtoaccommodateherwheelchair?challenges,thebarriersdierfrompollingplace Alldooropeningsmustprovideaminimumtopollingplace,buttherearesomecommon widthof32inchesandtheremustalsobeproblems.AccordingtotheDepartmentof enoughroomforapersonusingawheelchairJustice,thevemostcommonphysicalbarriers tomaneuvertoopenthedoor,including18atactualpollingplacesareparking,sidewalks/ inchesofclearspacebeyondthelatchsideofwalkways,buildingentrances,interiorhallways, thedoor.Inolderbuildings,abarriermustandthevotingareaitself.Forexample,avoter onlyberemovedifitisreadilyachievable,who uses awheelchair drives to her local soitispossibleforapollingplacetobehousedpollingstation.Whenshearrives,willthere inanolderbuildingthatdoesnotprovidethebeaccessibleparking?Accessibleparking requisitewidth.meansspaceswithadequateaccessaislesandsigns,notonaslopedsurface,andbecause Assuming our wheelchair user can getotherentrances(asopposedtothemain throughthedoor,shethenmustnavigatetheentrancetothebuilding)arecommonlyused hallways.Itisnotuncommonforschoolsandasentrypointstothepollingplace,permanent churchestobeusedaspollingplaces,andasaccessibleparkingmaynotbeclosetothe such,thereareoftenobstaclesinthehallways,entrancetothevotingarea. suchaswaterfountains,reextinguishers,Ifourwheelchairuserdoesndaccessible andotherxtureswhichbecomehazardousparking,shethenhastonavigateawalkway notonlytothosewithmobilitychallenges,togettotheentrance.UndertheADA,sidewalks butalsothosewithvisiondecits.Whilethemust be at least 36 inches wide, without ADAenumeratestherequisitemeasurementsabruptlevelchanges(nolevelchangegreater forthesexturesinhallways,therealityisthanhalf-an-inch),andthesurfacemustbe thatmostpollingplaceswillnotremoveastable,rm,andslipresistant,butoften,the waterfountainorotherxeditem.sidewalksatpollingplacesareindisrepairor Finally,ifourwheelchairusermakesittoarepackedwithothervotersstandinginline. thevotingarea,shemustnavigatethroughBacktoourwheelchair-usingvoter,ifshe thecheck-inareaandthenontothevotingwereabletogettotheentrance,isthatdoorway booth.TheADArequiresaminimum36-inchmsfocusmagazine.org 30'