No wheelchair ramps at polling stations
Gothataone Moeng | Friday January 17, 2014 17:07
No wheelchair ramps at polling stations
GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer
T
he Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has said it has no immediate solution to the unavailability of wheelchair ramps at public spaces likely to be used as polling stations in the coming national elections.
Speaking to Mmegi yesterday, the IEC principal public relations officer Osupile Maroba said that one of their major challenges in making elections accessible to voters with special needs is that the majority of public institutions, such as clinics, schools and churches, have no wheelchair ramps. But the IEC has not made any special dispensation to make it easier for wheelchair-bound voters to access the polling stations.
'We believe that these are people who live within a community, so we hope that the people who usually assist them can assist them access polling stations. Even polling officers can help them get inside polling stations,' he said.
The IEC picked this challenge in their 2009 general elections report, and wrote under the lessons learnt section:
'The commission has observed that most public places do not have wheelchair ramps and this will continue to be a nightmare for wheelchair-bound voters to access polling stations,' said Maroba.
Meanwhile the Electoral Act states that the visually impaired have to be accompanied by a personal guide and a polling officer within the voting booth. But questions about the secrecy of their vote have been raised. As a result, the IEC introduced a ballot paper template in Braille in the 2009 elections.
This however has not completely addressed the problem, as many visually impaired people, especially those in the rural areas, cannot read Braille, Maroba said. He said in the coming elections, both systems will be used, with those who are able to use Braille able to vote in private, while those who cannot will have to be accompanied by a guide and a polling officer.
Despite these challenges, the Executive Secretary of the Botswana Council for the Disabled Sekgabo Ramsay said she believes that people living with disabilities have equal access to voting and elections. She said IEC's introduction of the Braille template and the fact that the IEC is aware of the need for ramps is a positive step.
Speaking to Mmegi yesterday, the IEC principal public relations officer Osupile Maroba said that one of their major challenges in making elections accessible to voters with special needs is that the majority of public institutions, such as clinics, schools and churches, have no wheelchair ramps. But the IEC has not made any special dispensation to make it easier for wheelchair-bound voters to access the polling stations.'We believe that these are people who live within a community, so we hope that the people who usually assist them can assist them access polling stations.
Even polling officers can help them get inside polling stations,' he said.The IEC picked this challenge in their 2009 general elections report, and wrote under the lessons learnt section:'The commission has observed that most public places do not have wheelchair ramps and this will continue to be a nightmare for wheelchair-bound voters to access polling stations,' said Maroba. Meanwhile the Electoral Act states that the visually impaired have to be accompanied by a personal guide and a polling officer within the voting booth. But questions about the secrecy of their vote have been raised. As a result, the IEC introduced a ballot paper template in Braille in the 2009 elections. This however has not completely addressed the problem, as many visually impaired people, especially those in the rural areas, cannot read Braille, Maroba said.
He said in the coming elections, both systems will be used, with those who are able to use Braille able to vote in private, while those who cannot will have to be accompanied by a guide and a polling officer.Despite these challenges, the Executive Secretary of the Botswana Council for the Disabled Sekgabo Ramsay said she believes that people living with disabilities have equal access to voting and elections. She said IEC's introduction of the Braille template and the fact that the IEC is aware of the need for ramps is a positive step.