Opening remarks by the REC Osun State, Prof. Abdulganiy Olayinka Raji at the ongoing Voter Education and Sensitization for Visually Impaired Voters on the use Braille Ballots ahead of the #OsunDecides2022 election slated for 16th July 2022.
@IFES1987
@IFES1987
1. I am delighted at this particular point in time to attend this forum, organized by the Commission in collaboration with @IFES1987 to educate and sensitize PWDs especially visually impaired for their active participation in the July 16, 2022 Osun Governorship Election.
2. There is no gaining saying the fact that an election to be adjudged free, fair, credible and all-inclusive, the process and procedure of such an election must be well understood by the electorates irrespective of their status.
3. Therefore, active involvement of Persons with Disabilities with their huge numbers in our election cannot be underestimated.
4. Permit me at this juncture, to appreciate the @IFES1987 - a dependable development partner- for sponsoring this unique training aimed at beaqueting the participants with relevant knowledge and basic skills on the use of novel Braille Ballot Guide in our election.
5. With knowledge and skills to be acquired from this training today, the Commission and her partner @IFES1987 have taken a step further in advancing the course of PWDs in exercising their civic duty seamlessly.
6.Let me note that guaranteeing the effective participation of the disability community in the electoral process, the EMB need to consider holistically issues serving as albatross & barriers against the communityβs active involvement in the election & mitigate them once & for all
7. Some of these barriers include:
β Institutional Barriers- Discriminative Policies of government/Legal Framework
β Attitudinal Barriers-Misperception about capacities and needs of PWDs
β Institutional Barriers- Discriminative Policies of government/Legal Framework
β Attitudinal Barriers-Misperception about capacities and needs of PWDs
8. β Physical Barriers-Lack of mobile services and accessible transportation system, ramps in public places being used as voting centre
β Communication Barriers-Absence of braille easy language, sign language interpreters at polling centres
β Communication Barriers-Absence of braille easy language, sign language interpreters at polling centres
9. β Lack/ limited societal support for PWDs in politics
β Wide gap educational barriers and
β Insecurity- As a result of inordinate ambition of the political class
β Wide gap educational barriers and
β Insecurity- As a result of inordinate ambition of the political class
10. In developed democracies such as United States of America, all these barriers have been reasonably resolved through technology and right approach to human dignity.
11. This has provided the PWDs in these environments with confidence to participate in the electoral process on equal basis with others, thereby strengthening their democratic Institutions.
12. This has provided the PWDs in these environments with confidence to participate in the electoral process on equal basis with others, thereby strengthening their democratic Institutions.
13. All the above aforementioned barriers do still exist in the developing democracies such as ours in Nigeria, as such, effective participation of PWDs in election and other electoral activities are hindered.
14. The Commission, however, in recognition of these barriers entered into strategic alliance & partnership with relevant development partners, MDAs, Security Agencies and embarked on intensive voter education, sensitization & public enlightenment (including disability community)
15. and as well restructured some of the Polling Units that are not PWDs friendly during the expansion of voter access to Polling Unit exercise carried out in 2021.
16. This is to ensure that parts of the identified barriers of PWDs in electoral process are addressed so that confidence of the PWDs community to participate freely and without any form of hindrance in election is built.
17. In furtherance of the above, the Commission also ensured that reasonable accommodations are provided for the disability community for them to exercise their civic responsibility in the society as others. Some of these reasonable accommodations,
18. apart from interfacing with critical election stakeholders such as Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders (Christian Association of Nigeria, Muslim Community &others), Civil Society Organizations(CSOs)/Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) & Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
19. and intensive advocacy on the Political Class on your behalf, to support your political course, we provide magnifying glasses for persons with low vision and albinism, voter information in braille for persons with visual impairment,
20. braille ballot guide and sign language interpreters in all our major events, to ensure that PWDs are mainstreamed and given sense of belonging in all our activities.
21. To ensure you carry out your civic duty in 2022 Osun Governorship Election independently or with little or no assistance,
22. the Commission has produced voter information, correct way of thumb printing, election date and time, election day offences and penalty in braille, which they will all be distributed for your use today.
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