EVANSTON, Ill. (February 7, 2020) – Inclusion Solutions (www.inclusionsolutions.com), a leading provider of products and services to help governments create accessible environments to those with disabilities, today announced one of its flagship products, the LanguageLine Multilingual Virtual Pollworker (MVP) system, was recognized by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) as a best practice in election administration in Merced County, California, recipient of the EAC Clearie Award for Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities. Criteria for best practice recognition include creation of positive results, innovation, sustainability, outreach efforts, cost-effectiveness and replicability.
Designed to assist voters who are deaf by providing a direct iPad-based connection to interpreters for dozens of languages including American Sign Language, the Merced County Registrar of Voters Office implemented the MVP county-wide in an effort to make the voting process accessible and inclusive to all county voters. Stated Barbara Levey, the Registrar of Voters for Merced County, “We have received wonderful feedback from our voters who have utilized the Multilingual Virtual Pollworker or MVP program. The MVP has the capability of connecting our voters to interpreters in more than 200 languages including ASL. We have also utilized this technology in one of my other offices where we were struggling to find an interpreter. This technology is a game changer in being able to provide services to our voters and our community.”
The Clearie award celebrates innovation in election administration, improving voting accessibility for voters with disabilities, best practices in recruiting, and training and retaining election workers.
“To have the LanguageLine MVP included in this recognition by the EAC, a bipartisan commission serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, affirms Inclusion Solutions’ mission to provide best-of-breed solutions that meet both voters’ and pollworkers’ needs,” said Inclusion Solutions President Hollister Bundy. “Partnering with elite solution providers like LanguageLine helps Inclusion Solutions provide a complete product portfolio that empowers election officials to make cost-effective, scalable voting equipment and accessories purchases that improve the voting experience for all voters.”
Inclusion Solutions has also provided LanguageLine’s MVP to Harris County, Texas, which will be implementing the system at 52 early voting locations before the March 3, 2020 Texas Primary. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman and Director of Elections Michael Winn have been a leader in accessibility and other initiatives. At all Harris County early voting locations, voters will be able to call an interpreter in the languages required by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act as well as American Sign Language.
Other jurisdictions in Texas and California are also using this innovative technology to provide language assistance to all of their voters.
About Inclusion Solutions
Inclusion Solutions helps voting jurisdictions comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and better welcome voters with disabilities. Offering more than 350 affordable products to help governments create environments that are easily accessible to everyone, Inclusion Solutions’ products are designed and sourced to make adherence to ADA requirements simple for any organization. Flagship products include the LanguageLine Multilingual Virtual Pollworker system, the Pakflatt® Franklin® voting booth and the BallotCall™ door alert system. To date, more than 22,000 Inclusion Solutions Pakflatt® Franklin® voting booths are present in 48 states, and the BallotCall™ alert system is used in thousands of polling places nationwide.
Inclusion Solutions was founded in Evanston, Ill., in 2000. Please visit www.inclusionsolutions.com for more information.
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Contact
Inclusion Solutions
Sheila Hughes, Inclusion Solutions
847.869.2500