By Leonard Okachie
TAF Africa, a disability-focused organisation, has sensitised Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Bende Local Government Area of Abia to electoral participation and their rights.
The sensitisation, tagged ‘Able2Vote Community Outreach for PWDs in Abia’, was held at Uzuakoli, attracting participants from various disability clusters across the LGA.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that TAF Africa, meaning The Action Facility for Africa, promotes the inclusion and empowerment of PWDs.
Mr George Anwayi, Assistant Programme Manager, TAF Africa, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had provided measures to support PWDs during elections.
He listed assistive devices provided by INEC to include braille ballot guides, magnifying glasses and large-font graphic posters.
“INEC is providing assistive devices such as braille ballot guides, magnifying glasses and large-font graphic posters for persons with hearing impairment,” Anwayi said.
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He added that PWDs were entitled to priority at polling units and did not have to join queues before casting their votes.
“When PWDs come to the polling unit, they are prioritised. They don’t have to join the queue,” he said.
Anwayi said the campaign was necessary because many PWDs remained unaware of Section 54 of the Electoral Act and provisions for priority voting.
“Nothing about PWDs without PWDs. So, that is why we’ve come to call them out,” he said.
He described participants’ response to the sensitisation as impressive, adding that the campaign had so far covered Delta, Osun and Ekiti states.
According to him, six communities in Abia are being targeted under the ongoing sensitisation campaign.
Mr Terfa Tyokase, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, TAF Africa, said the organisation was working in one state in each geopolitical zone.
He said the initiative aimed to ensure that PWDs understood their political rights and completed Form EC40H for INEC’s data collection.
Tyokase urged stakeholders, including the media and security agencies, to support the full inclusion of PWDs in the electoral process.
Mr Israel Ifeanyichukwu, State Welfare Officer, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), welcomed the sensitisation programme.
“I’m happy that they made us know that it is our right to choose our leaders,” Ifeanyichukwu said.
He said inaccessible voting points had sometimes discouraged PWDs from participating, but expressed optimism over improved accessibility and voter orientation.
“Sometimes, the places they do their voting points lack accessibility, but this time around, there are assistive devices and orientation,” he said.
Ifeanyichukwu said the association had begun mobilising its members, adding that many PWDs now had their Permanent Voter Cards.
Mrs Nnenna Ogbonna, another participant, described the session as encouraging, saying ignorance had kept many PWDs away from political participation.
She said the training had helped PWDs understand their rights and made them feel more included in the electoral process. NAN
