According to a report by the Federal Election Commission, more than 20,000 polling places across the nation fail to meet the minimal requirements of accessibility -- depriving people with disabilities of their fundamental right to vote.

Lawsuit filed over DC voting access.

"Millions of Americans are being treated as second class citizens when they attempt to participate in one of the cornerstones of our democracy," said Cyndi Jones, director of The Center for an Accessible Society.

Inaccessibility can take the form of a polling place without a ramp or elevator.Ê Or inaccessibility can mean that there is no accessible parking, no Braille ballot, inaccessible voting booths, lack of a private vote, or when those who require assistance with voting are judged to be not capable of voting by the very polling officials that should be helping.

More than 30 million Americans with disabilities are of voting age.Ê Yet a National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation study by University of Arkansas researcher Kay Schriner, Ph.D., shows that people with disabilities are 20 percentage points less likely than non-disabled people to vote and 10 percent less likely to register to vote.Ê

"If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as the non-disabled, between 5 and 10 million more votes would be cast in the upcoming presidential election.Ê That is a substantial number," says Dr. Schriner.

Inaccessibility and discrimination contribute significantly to the lack of voting by people with disabilities.

"Our primary goal this year is to increase the turnout of disabled voters. If we do not seek to actively participate in this fundament right of citizenship, we will be forfeiting our political influence.Ê And it will be through that influence that we will see improvements -- you cannot ignore 30 million voters," says Jones.