Yemisi Izuora
The Center for Citizens with Disabilities, CCD, has identified gaps in the provision of facilities support that would facilitate participation of Persons Living with Disabilities, PWDs in the coming general elections in 2019.
The groups said except urgent steps are taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, many persons with various forms of disabilities would be disenfranchised during the elections.
Providing insight from a document on a nationwide assessment of provisions for persons with disability in INEC preparation for the 2019 elections in Nigeria, executive director, ED of CCD, David Anyaele observed that empirical studies have shown that challenges faced by PWDs range from discriminatory, prejudicial and derogatory expressions against PWDs by other voters and electoral staff, to the myriad of barriers such as distances between homes and polling stations, unorganized and unconducive polling stations exposing people with albinism to life threatening direct sun rays, rough and or muddy roads, high steps, narrow doorways that hinder maneuvering of wheelchairs, voters with invisible disabilities forced to stand in queues.
Anyaele, who was represented by Barrister Kola Ogunbiyi also observed that challenges of accessing information such as lack of sign language interpretation services and publication transcribed in braille or large prints have also impeded their participation.
He also mentioned issues like lack of secrecy at polling stations for voters with visual impairments, communication hurdles especially for blind and deaf people, limited knowledge of handling PWDs difficulties by election officials which often leading to lack of proper and reliable support services at polling stations and unresponsive policies or legislation.
In view of the identified obstacles the document recommended that the president should as a matter of urgency assent to the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill in order to give legal backing to the rights of PWDs across the country.
It also recommended that the Lagos state government should beyond the passage of the Lagos State Special People’s Law, take further steps to monitor compliance of the law, while INEC should make provisions for priority access for PWDs to vote during elections and that special considerations be made for PWDs at polling stations among others.
The CCD also sought for capacity building for PWDs to enlighten them about their rights and be encouraged to participate at elections.