NCBI Submission on Control of Postering for Elections and Referenda
Read NCBI's Submission on Control of Election and Referenda Posters to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on the 15 September, 2008.
Introduction
NCBI provides a range of services to people who are blind and vision impaired in the Republic of Ireland. Many of these services are delivered on behalf of the State and are funded by the Department of Health through the Health Service Executive. Currently, NCBI provides services to over 13,000 people living with significant sight loss and we are experiencing an annual increase in our service user base of approximately 12% year-on-year.
Summary
Under the Litter Pollution Acts, election and referendum posters are currently exempt from the provisions of the Act until seven days after polling. This poses significant concern to the NCBI regarding the scale and nature of postering that arises on foot of this exemption.
Issues that arise include:
- the height of posters
- the use of unsuitable locations
- failure to fix posters safely and securely to the pole
- failure to remove posters
Election posters, liberally displayed nationwide in the lead up to an election, can present an obstacle to a pedestrian with a vision impairment if they are not hung above head height. Guide Dogs are unable to identify obstacles above head height and someone using a long cane will not be aware that there is an obstacle ahead.
This can be easily avoided by taking simple measures to ensure that protruding signs and posters are hung where they will not cause an obstruction. Please find below the guidelines for the positioning of election posters.
“Signs that are projecting or being suspended must be positioned above head height at 2200mm from floor level. Although it is important that the sign does not create a head height obstacle, it is equally important that the size of the lettering increases in proportion to the distance from the reader.”
Conclusion
The NCBI proposes that the Litter Pollution Act be amended to specify the minimum height of 2200mm from floor level at which posters can be placed. This would ensure consistency by having a uniform national requirement for all parties and candidates.