Ondo Gov’ship Poll: NGO Demands Easy Polling Unit Access To PWDs

Ahead of the Saturday November 16, 2024 governorship election in Ondo State, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a process that would enable persons with disabilities (PWD) to vote without any stress.

IFA’s Director of Programmes, Molly Joshua, who stated this in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Wednesday, urged the commission to use flat surface venues as polling units for easy accessibility to persons with disabilities.

While noting that priority should be given to PWDs by allowing them to vote on arrival at the polling units, he said braille ballot guide should be made available and categorised as sensitive materials.

“INEC should ensure polling units are accessible by choosing flat, barrier-free venues. The commission should mandate polling officials to fill out Persons with Disabilities Form EC40H to collect vital data, aiding future planning and cost-efficiency.

“INEC should implement priority voting for Persons with Disabilities upon their arrival at polling units. Classify and deploy the Braille ballot guide as a sensitive material to ensure deployment, timely availability, and usage by Polling Officials.

“We call on the commission to maintain strong coordination with security agencies, prominently post-Form EC30E PWD Election Day instructions at polling units in a visible area to enable efficient usage of the form.

“INEC should position ballot boxes to allow Persons with Disabilities to cast votes independently, and sustain engagement with the Persons with Disabilities community, IFA, and relevant organizations to enhance accessibility.

“Collaborate with IFA to update Persons with Disabilities voter data, actively recruit qualified Persons with Disabilities as staff and ad-hoc staff and ensure training for INEC staff on the effective use of assistive materials.

“It is evident that persons with disabilities are determined to participate in the electoral and political process of the country if there is an enabling environment,” Joshua said.