Michael Shermis (identified in the meeting as representing the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility) attended Oct. 2 to answer questions after a demonstration of an accessibility survey tool. Board members said the county would like a standard emblem or sign to mark accessible polling sites and asked Shermis to continue work on draft materials included in the meeting packet.
Shermis said the proposed approach surveys each polling location, records barriers and suggests mitigations. Many remedies are low‑cost or no‑cost — for example, changing signage or moving paper‑towel dispensers — while more expensive fixes (regrading a ramp or reconstructing restrooms) require action by the facility owner. He said the software can suggest mitigations and that the city would provide consulting assistance to identify solutions. “Many of these mitigations potentially won’t cost anything,” Shermis told the board, and the survey tool would also identify barriers that might need higher‑cost solutions.
Board members pressed on who would pay for fixes. County staff said mitigation actions at county‑owned sites would be handled by county facilities; for non‑county sites such as churches or schools the facility owners typically decide whether to fund permanent repairs. The board discussed temporary on‑site accommodations and the county’s stock of portable ramps and signage that can be used on election day.
Members noted past examples in which a church that served as a polling place lacked funds to rebuild a permanent ramp; the county instead rerouted voters to another site that year. The board agreed that an accessibility survey and a visible county‑city emblem marking accessible sites would help voters and suggested the county continue working with the city consultant to refine the draft signage and plan. No contract was approved at the meeting; county staff said they had negotiated a one‑year arrangement with the vendor on terms that minimize long‑term commitments, and said the county would fund use of the survey tool if it chooses to adopt it.