A woman arrives to cast her vote at the polling station in Westward Community Centre, Bridgend.
CAMPAIGNERS for blind people in Wales today welcomed an initiative to make polling stations more accessible.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People Cymru (RNIB Cymru) found that only a quarter of blind people felt the current system allows them to vote independently and in secret.
Welsh government minister Jayne Bryant has announced £25,000 for trials of ways to make polling stations more accessible ahead of the 2026 Senedd election.
The Welsh government, RNIB Cymru and electoral administrators are testing a variety of solutions with blind and partially sighted people in Cardiff and Wrexham to identify workable, cost-effective and bilingual solutions.
RNIB Cymru’s Ansley Workman said: “Nobody should feel nervous or embarrassed walking into a polling station, unsure whether they will be able to vote.”
Ms Bryant said: “The RNIB’s findings that only half of blind and partially sighted voters said they were satisfied with their voting experience at the 2024 general election shows this is a matter that needs to be taken very seriously.”
