To the editor:

April 6 was election day and, as a citizen of Marion, I went to vote — but not as easily as in the past.

Last June and July, I had two surgeries on my right knee, resulting in my having limited mobility.

In preparation for voting, since I knew from prior experiences that Emanuel Baptist Church was really not accessible from the parking lot to the south doors of the church — with three or four steps up to the church from the parking lot — I called the church for information about handicapped accessibility.

I was told of a handicapped parking space north of the church by a sidewalk along Walnut Street and a ramp on the east side of the church. I parked, removed my walker from the car, and followed the sidewalk and ramp to the church entrance, which was made more difficult because there was a hose lying across the ramp.

The door to the church was fairly heavy to open but I made it into the hall. When I reached the multi-purpose room where the voting was held, I noted there were about six or eight people also there. I became even more dismayed with this choice of polling place because most were senior citizens, as I am, and about half were somewhat disabled.

One man had surgery recently, one woman walked with a cane, and a second had respiratory difficulty. And, of course, I was using a walker. I voted as I intended and retraced my route back to my car and home.

Since I had recently spoken to the election clerk by telephone and noted my concern about the selection of Emanuel Baptist Church because of accessibility, I also mentioned the concern to those working there.

As I thought more and more about this experience, I became even more unhappy. I really believe there is surely somewhere more accessible in the city of Marion to use as a polling place. When something as important as an election is scheduled, I am asking those making arrangements, consider the needs of all.

I served on the McPherson Committee with the Handicapped for several years and was involved in planning sidewalk cuts, ramps, etc., and I know it is not always easy to accommodate various disabilities but am asking that Marion try just a bit harder.

Rowena Olsen
Marion