US Election Assistance Commission - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines Vote
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Name :   Rucker Ashmore
Organization :   Adaptive Switch Laboratories, Inc.
Post Date :   9/28/2005

Section Comments
Section :  2.2.7.3
Page no. :  
Line no.:  
Comment :  April 19, 2005

Someone is missing the point if a Sip&Puff switch is going to be the access method for voting machines.
 
There are many types of disabilities.  Each disability has different switch capabilities.
 
A Sip&Puff switch will benefit only those that have a high spinal cord injury.  People with CP, ALS and MD cannot operate a Sip&Puff switch.
 
Enabling the physical disabled population to vote will depend on software.  You cannot navigate the ballot with a Sip&Puff switch or any other type of switch without proper software.
 
Voting software should be able to start scanning the ballot with a single switch activation, another activation of the same switch should allow an individual to stop the ballot scan and make a selection (Vote).
 
The software is what allows an individual to navigate the ballot and vote.  A switch is only the access method and a switch MUST match the disabled persons capability.
 
The industry standard is for all switches is for the switch to end into an 1/8 inch male mono plug.  The disabled voting machine should have a 1/8 inch female port, plug any type of switch into this port and the person has access to the voting machine.