Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Dr. Yusuf Ali Osman, a blind doctor, 45 years-old, wins a landmark legal challenge against Croydon Council over an inaccessible postal voting system.
After the council mailed him voting paperwork that he was unable to read, he successfully challenged the council in court.
He said:
“From my first vote in the General Election of 2001 right up until the General Election of 2024 I have never been able to vote independently and in secret.”
Dr. Osman received hard copies of postal voting paperwork in the run-up to the London General Authority Election in May and the General Election in July, however these documents lacked braille instructions or information.
Even though the council was aware of his visual handicap, this nevertheless happened.
Although Dr. Osman has software that can scan and understand plain text, data in tables and pictures is frequently misinterpreted.
He is unable to mark his vote on the ballot or determine where to cast it because of the program.
Before checking the box next to Dr. Osman’s selected candidate, Dr. Osman’s acquaintance had to read the voting materials and complete his own.
Having to rely on someone else to exercise his fundamental right to vote is “disempowering,” according to Dr. Osman, a doctorate holder who tries to live as independently as possible.
In August 2024, the law firm Leigh Day wrote a letter before claim to the council on behalf of Dr. Osman.
Concerns regarding the council’s inaction on the needs of voters with disabilities were voiced by Dr. Osman.
He asked the council to give voters who are blind or visually impaired documents in braille or digital formats that can be correctly read by the appropriate software.
Ahead of the next elections, the council also promised to offer fair accommodations for those with vision impairments and agreed to pay Dr. Osman £750 in compensation last month.
Leigh Day solicitor Carolin Ott, who represents Dr Osman together with Aurelia Buelens, said:
“The right to vote is a fundamental constitutional right and disabled voters must be properly supported in their exercise of that right.”
In addition, the council asked Dr. Osman to talk about the difficulties he encountered and to participate in discussions, particularly with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to develop appropriate accommodations for voters who are blind or visually impaired.
Dr Osman said:
“I hope that with the agreement with Croydon council I might finally be able to do this.
I’d like to thank my legal team for all their hard work and efforts and the willingness of Croydon council to find a way through this situation that will meet my needs and the needs of other blind and visually impaired people going forward.
I look forward to working with officers at the council.”
In August 2023, Dr. Osman got £7,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as part of a settlement after the government agency neglected to provide him with benefit letters in accessible PDFs or braille.
A request for comment has been made to Croydon Council.
What changes did Croydin council make to the postal voting process after Dr Osman’s challenge?
For voters who are blind or visually impaired, Croydon Council will make sure that voting materials and correspondence are available in accessible formats, such as Braille and digital versions that work with assistive technology.
In order to determine and address the unique difficulties faced by blind and visually impaired voters, the council has extended an invitation to Dr. Osman to take part in broader consultations, which will include talks with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Accessibility tools like the McGonagle Reader, which let people with visual impairments vote independently and covertly, are being considered by the council.
At upcoming elections, Croydon Council has pledged to provide visually impaired voters with appropriate accommodations so they can exercise their right to vote on their own.