ALLIANCE responds to Electoral Commission consultation on accessibility of Scottish Parliament 7 May 2026 election
- Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
- Type: News Item
- Published: 25th June 2026
Read our published response on the voting experiences of people who are Deaf, Deafblind, or who have Visual Impairments.
The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Electoral Commission’s consultation on the accessibility of the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2026. This response has now been published.
Our response centres on the experiences of people who are Deaf, Deafblind, or who have Visual Impairments, who have repeatedly highlighted the barriers they face to participation in democratic process, and called for changes in inclusive communication.
Over the last three years, the ALLIANCE has carried out a range of lived experience research with people who are Deaf, Deafblind who have Visual Impairments. Evidence from this range of research has informed our response, alongside additional targeted input from our members across Scotland on their experiences of voting in the May 2026 elections.
Key feedback on the accessibility of participating in elections included call for improvements in:
- Timely information on candidates and party manifestos including clear signposting to alternative formats, alt. text, video captions and BSL translation.
- Screen reader accessibility across manifestos and other election materials.
- Information for people with Visual Impairments on accessing the new tactile voting overlay, particularly when voting by proxy.
- Colour contrast on voting slips.
- Polling station privacy for voters who are Deafblind and supported by Guide-Communicators.
The ALLIANCE looks forward to the Electoral Commission’s report on the outcome of this consultation and future improvements in voting for people who are Deaf, Deafblind, or who have Visual Impairments.
Read the ALLIANCE’s full response to the Electoral Commission Consultation below.
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