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The Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD) has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to train its officials on how to attend to people with disabilities during the elections.
The Ogun State chairman of JONAPWD, Dr. Michael Ebonhorndidi, stated this during the ‘PWDs stakeholders meeting on 2023 election inclusion’ on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
Members of the association complained on the poor treatment given to them during the last election despite the new electoral acts on PWD signed by the President of Nigeria, Muhammed Buhari.
Ebonhorndidi said “there was need for INEC to train their officials on how to treat people with disabilities because most of their officials don’t even about the electoral acts guiding participation of PWD during election.”
He disclosed that he was subjected to wait on the queue for a very long time before been attended to meanwhile he was able to cast his vote with the help of his son because there was no braille ballot guide as promised by the INEC.
“I voted with the help of my son, there was no braille ballot paper. When we went to INEC, they told us that there were only 20 braille ballot guide but none was present at my polling unit.”
The JONAPWD PRO, Salako Abayomi, revealed that there was no good and proper documentation for PWD at the INEC office in Ogun State, he advised that INEC should also to assist them in the electoral process by providing interpreter for people with hearing challenges, braille ballot paper for the visually impaired people etc.
In response to the complain of the association, the founder of a non-governmental organisation ‘Brace-Up The Young’, Obasanjo Fajemirokun stated that the introduction of the mobile application ‘Wi-app’ is aimed at encouraging people with disability, women and youths to be involved in the electoral process in Nigeria.
Fajemirokun added that the mobile application which is sponsored by Yiaga Africa and UK Aid will aid people with disability to locate their polling units and also engaging people with disabilities as Wi-app eye witnesses or election observers.
“Wi-app gives people with abilities opportunities for conversations where they can interact freely without any fear of intimidation or talk down from anybody, they can also get fact and news about election, there is also a place on the mobile application where they will be able to locate their polling unit.”
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