...Charges INEC To Improve On Assistive Materials Provision
The Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) on Thursday called on the federal and state governments to work with various agencies and the private sector to ensure that public buildings are built and renovated for future elections to accommodate Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in their daily life in accordance with the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018.
The IFA led Vote Ability Campaign calls on also called on the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) to restrategise its deployment of assistive voting materials for PWDs in subsequent elections .
Executive Director IFA, Grace Jerry, made the call at the public presentation of IFA’s 2023 General Election Observation Report in Abuja.
Jerry said that IFA, through the vote-Ability Campaign deployed 250 PWDs election Observers across 21 states to measure the deployment and usage of PWD assistive materials and accessibility to polling units amongst others.
She said that the 2023 Elections was the first General Election of the country since the signing of the 2022 Electoral Act, with Section 54 mandating INEC to provide PWDs with aids or assistive electoral materials to eliminate any form of barriers to voting .
She however, said that those barriers still raised their heads in the General Elections just like other elections as the assistive materials although provided were either not enough or were not deployed strategically and access to some polling units were a challenge.
“Based on the findings of the polling unit accessibility audit, the IFA Vote-Ability Campaign makes the following recommendations to ensure voters with disabilities can continue to participate in Nigeria’s political and electoral processes.
“The IFA-led Vote-Ability campaign calls on INEC to ensure that overpopulated PUs are decongested for ease of implementing priority voting for PWDs in subsequent Elections.
“INEC should collaborate with other government agencies to ensure the provision of ramps and handrails outside and inside the polling units so that PWDs can cast their vote without any barriers.
“INEC should work closely with IFA and other organisation of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to develop a strategy document for decimating assistive materials in all elections.”
Jerry urged INEC to ensure timely and effective deployment of PWDs assistive materials such as; the Braille ballot guide, Form EC30 EPWD , and magnifying glass for all national and state elections.
She called on INEC to strengthen the training of regular and ad hoc staff to effectively administer assistive Election Day materials and accommodations for voters with disabilities.
She said INEC should ensure that voting cubicles are designed to enable voters with disabilities to cast their ballots confidentially, as well as ensure ballot boxes are placed in areas that allow voters with disabilities to vote independently.
She urged INEC, the Police, and other security agencies under the platform of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to develop and implement a clear plan for the protection of PWDs during elections .
Jerry tasked INEC on improving its data gathering data of PWDs in a disaggregated format to improve deployment of assistive materials during elections.
She also called on the National Assembly to ensure that the executive implements specific sections of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability Act 2018 through effective legislative oversight.
She said the National Assembly should also perform its oversight functions of INEC to ensure that all measures for accessibility are implemented in line with the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability Act 2018.
Jerry said IFA-led Vote-Ability Campaign called on the police and other security agencies to develop a special protocol to protect voters and observers with disabilities during elections.
She also call on the police and other security agencies to ensure that whenever these protocols are developed, their personnel are well trained to implement these provisions.
She media to make deliberate efforts to conduct voter education that complements the efforts of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in promoting the participation of PWDs in Nigeria’s electoral and political processes.
“Media executives should consider disability inclusion in their broadcast and news production to promote inclusive practices in Nigeria, including the consistent utilization of sign language interpreters .
IFA on the Executives to declare a state of emergency on all electoral offenders and ensure full prosecution as a deterrent to other citizens.
Jerry said the IFA-led Vote-Ability Campaign also called on the federal and state governments to work with various agencies and the private sector to ensure that public buildings are built and renovated for future elections to accommodate PWDs .
This ,she said should be in accordance with the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018.
“The executive, at all levels, should strengthen existing building codes and enforce them to guarantee accessibility for PWDs during and beyond elections.
“The IFA-led Vote-Ability campaign calls on INEC to ensure that overpopulated PUs are decongested for ease of implementing priority voting for PWDs in subsequent Elections. This process is important as citizens in overpopulated PUs submerge PWDs and their rights.
“INEC should collaborate with other government agencies to ensure the provision of ramps and handrails outside and inside the polling units so that PWDs can cast their vote without any barriers.
“INEC should work closely with IFA and other organization of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to develop a strategy document for decimating assistive materials in all elections.
“INEC should ensure timely and effective deployment of PWDs assistive materials such as; the Braille ballot guide, Form EC30 EPWD , and magnifying glass for all national and state elections” stated the IFA boss among other recommendations.
