Visually Handicapped Seniors'Voting Participation Topped Those of Age 18-30 Voters by Wide Margin
NAVH Survey Indicates high level of voting by trained visually handicapped seniors. More than 90% of those whose ages averaged 78 plus took part in presidental election.
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 14, 2004 -- Young voters ages 18-29, whose
voting participation increased to 52 percent this year, have nothing on a
sampling of visually impaired older adults. The seniors, whose average age is
78, were surveyed by the National Association for Visually Handicapped (NAVH) at
a bi-weekly seminar on coping with diminished sight.
The visually
handicapped seniors' record of participation in presidential elections topped
the 90 percent mark, despite the fact that one-third said visual problems made
it more difficult to vote and 41 percent needed assistance in the voting
booth.
No assistance was requested by 55 percent and only 4 percent said
vision problems prevented their voting.
Besides easily surpassing the
voting record of young voters, the NAVH group also topped the national voting
mark of those age 65-plus; at 67 percent, the highest voting participation rate
among all age groups, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“The voting
record of partially seeing individuals who have learned to use their remaining
sight should encourage the millions of others with low vision,” said Dr.
Lorraine Marchi, NAVH founder and chief executive officer. “With proper training
and support, the ‘hard of seeing’ can lead independent, productive
lives.”
NAVH, a non-profit agency founded in 1954, is the only national
voluntary health care organization solely devoted to serving the 20 million
Americans, who, while not totally blind, have serious eye diseases that could
seriously limit their vision. NAVH provides education, counseling, vision aids,
a free-by-mail large print loan library, and hope to all partially seeing people
and their families, regardless of age. The agency can be reached at 212-889-3141
or through its website, www.navh.org.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/11/prweb178140.htm