The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has been urged to make polling units accessible to persons living with disabilities in Saturday’s Governorship election in Ondo State.
Election monitoring groups which include Inclusive Friends Association, Yiaga Africa, and Association of People Living with Disabilities gave the advice while briefing journalists in Akure, the state capital on Wednesday.
They said electoral accessibility, introducing tools such as the Braille Ballot Guide and PWD-specific Election Day instructions should be provided to support independent voting by persons with visual and hearing impairments to promote inclusiveness.
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The groups said it was unfortunate that despite efforts deployed over the years to make elections inclusive, accessible, and fair, there remain significant barriers to full participation of Persons with Disabilities.
They expressed willingness to work with INEC for notable improvements in accessibility and empowerment for Nigeria’s disability community.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
