..Fault inaccessible voting centres, non provision of assistive materials

The Albino Foundation (TAF) and the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) have lauded the high turn-out of Persons with Disability (PWDs) during the recently concluded Ekiti State Governorship Election.  They are also elated that “priority was given to elderly voters, pregnant women and women with babies. Persons with disability were attended to on separate lines while persons with visual impairment voted with assistance by their relatives”.

“Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) displayed professionalism during the elections. Priority was given to elderly persons and persons with disability. In places where braille was not provided, officials intimated persons with disability ahead of the voting exercise on the approach to be used (assistive voting).”

“There was a deliberate attempt by INEC officials to mine data on disaggregated disabilities during the voting exercise on election day, with specific intention to incorporate Albinism and other vulnerable groups. This is highly commendable. We observed that these efforts produced the data released by INEC returning officers during the announcement of results at the final stage of the electoral process”.

They however faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the non provision of assistive materials like ramps, braille, magnifying glasses or handrails for the PWDs.

They decry the inappropriate location of the ballot boxes which they claim “was either inaccessible or too high for the physically challenged”. Some of the ballot boxes were located across gutters, making it impossible for a physically challenged person on wheel chair to access, they claim. “Besides, there was no provision of trained persons to assist PWDs that might need help”.

“Persons with disability were not properly mainstreamed in the electoral process by the non-provision of braille for the blind, ramps for the physically challenged, sign language interpreters or pictorials for the hearing Impaired and hand-held magnifier for persons with albinism and other forms of visual Impairment”, says TAF.

In their report from election observation in the three senatorial districts of the state, TAF say that in “Are Ekiti, about fifteen (15) kilometres from Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, the first polling unit we visited was llawemo House polling Unit with code number 010 and Registration Area Code 13. Here persons with disability were present but the location of the ballot box was too high for the physically challenged”

“In Irepodun/lfelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti State, it was observed that there was no Person with other forms of Disability {PWD} in the polling unit except one Person with Albinism {PWA). Close observation revealed that there were no magnifying glasses provided. Though, there was no other PWD, the polling unit was designed such that a physically challenged person on wheel chair will find it difficult to scale the gutter leading to the voting area.”

“For example, in PIJ 003 unit 6, some deaf persons had to interpret the procedures of voting to their colleagues who were not literate. Similarly, in PU 002 unit 6, over 30 blind persons had someone (may be their teacher) who assisted them during voting thereby infringing on their privacy in the electoral process. The woman with Albinism, who was identified in lrepodun/lfelodun registration area, had no magnifying glass to aid her sight. Some poling units were either too high or too steep, making election venues difficult for persons with disability”.

”Besides, there was no provision of trained persons to assist PWDs that might need help. One more polling unit was visited in Are Ekiti but there was no PWDs or PWAs there. The polling unit was fairly accessible but no braille, no magnifying glasses, no handrails etc to support PWDs and PWAs. In Afao Ekiti, few distance from Are Ekltl, there was large turnout of voters as they were seen in long queue trying to vote”.

“In Afao Ekiti few distance from Are Ekiti, there was large turnout of voters as they were seen in long queue trying to vote…The first polling unit we observed was Polling Unit 005 near Adeosun compound with Registration Area Code 13. No PWDs or PWAs was present in the polling unit. Election materials for PWDs were not provided and the polling unit was not accessible as well”.

“In Ishan Ekltl, about twenty-four kilometres away, there was large turnout of voters as very long queue was observed at polling unit 010 In front of Jacob Bejide house on registration Area Code 11. Vote buying was visibly noticed in the town. There was one physically challenged on queue. No braille, no handrails, no magnifying glasses etc. Neither was there any trained person to assist PWDs found in the center”.

In general, the number of persons with disability who took part In the Ekltl state gubernatorial election was quite Impressive. This large turnout was made possible by the Interventions of the Albino foundation, DPOs, Civil society groups and International and local organizations working on persons with disability.

Prior to the election, The Albino Foundation had several engagements with disability clusters under JONAPWD to discuss electoral participation for the various disability groups. The baseline survey of persons with disability (which was carried out by the foundation under the EU-SDGN project) also gave PWDs the intuition that the elections will be inclusive for them.

TAF wants the International organizations to support INEC in the procurement of election materials for persons with disability such as the ramps, braille and the magnifying glasses etc. In a bid to assist INEC on its inclusiveness drive, International organizations should sponsor a baseline survey in states where there’s no availability of such data. This information will enable INEC make provision for easy access for the PWDs during elections in those states.

 The group also wants INEC to train its election day officials including the returning officers on respect for the different persons with disability that are identified by the commission. The commission, it says, should ensure the distribution of election materials for persons with disability at the various polling units.

Available data on persons with disability should be used for the effective deployment of election materials for persons with disability. Such information can also be used in the creation of new PU In areas where PWDs are mostly domiciled. Access should be created at polling units for PWDs who are physically challenged to enable them to reach the ballot boxes. INEC should consult with organizations working on PWDs to obtain Information that can assist the commission in the design, procurement and distribution of election materials for persons with disability on Election Day.

INEC should also endeavour to brief the DPOs and other civil society on the availability of election materials for PWDS prior to elections while assistive voting for PWDS should be discouraged as much as possible

The Center for People with Disabilities, CCD express satisfaction with the INEC, for taking broader steps to ensure that people with disabilities and other marginalised groups were given fair chance to participate during the governorship election in Ekiti state.

In a report released by the Center in Lagos, it said that reports from its observers indicates that the significant number of the polling units monitored showed that polling units were opened as early as 8am and good turnout of voters with peaceful atmosphere. The report also said that marginalised populations, like the aged, nursing mothers and pregnant women and persons with disabilities were offered priority voting, and commended polling officials for their efforts in this regard.

The report stated that the CCD and JONAPwD deployed carefully selected but well trained 44 observers, 98 per cent who are persons with disabilities covering the three senatorial districts (including the 16 local government areas) of the state using statistical principles and information and communication technologies (ICTs), to observe the election.

To cover all the local government area, a minimum of 2 observers were deployed to each local government. The selected PWDs are non partisan and have no political affiliation and each of the observers were provided an assistant who assisted them in moving around during the election observation, said the report.

The methodology adopted for the exercise was random sampling of polling units in all the 16 Local Government Areas of Ekiti State. The choice of this technique was informed by the nature of the exercise which gave every polling unit to stand an equal chance of being selected for observation, CCD said.

The report however noted that findings across the 280 sampled polling units in Ekiti State indicate that there is a need for consistent improvement on preparedness by INEC for PWDs in future elections, particularly for the Visually impaired (the Blind), Hearing Impaired and the Physically challenged.

The Center therefore called on the National Assembly to urgently strengthen section 56 (2) of the 2010 Electoral Act by making the provision of braille and sign language interpreters mandatory as opposed to leaving it to the whims of INEC officials. It also urged the National Assembly to transmit the Nigeria Disability Bill to President for assent.

The CCD further asked INEC to go beyond standardising its collection of PWD data in pre-election and Election Day processes but make adequate provisions to enable the participation of voters with different forms of disabilities, and recruit sign interpreter across thirty six states and Abuja as permanent staff, including training and retraining of staff on disability issues.

“It is imperative that INEC create enough awareness on disability issues amongst its ad-hoc staff including the electoral presiding officers. It was unfortunate that some of the dons appointed as returning officers in the just concluded election were using demeaning words to describe PWDs hence the need to sensitize them on disability issues”, the report concluded.