A non governmental organisation, Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD) has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure that the processes surrounding the gubernatorial election in the state would accommodate people with disabilities (PWD).
The executive director of the centre, Mr David Anyaele told journalists in a press conference to herald the launch of Campaign on Equal Voting Access for People with disabilities that there was need for INEC to take people with disabilities into cognisance when mapping out polling units and voting centers.
He said, “We are calling on INEC to consider us by sitting polling units in areas that are accessible by people living with disabilities. We have over 600,000 PWDs living in Anambra and over 65percent of them are 18 years and above.
“CCD would mobilise them from across the state for the election to vote and besides this, we are training 42 PWDs as observers that would be sent two to each of the 21 local government areas of the state.
“We are calling on INEC to consider us by ensuring that polling units are located in places that can be accessed by people living with disability. We will not accept centres located across gutters and on pavements that our members will not be able to accepted.”
He also added that the presence or lack of sign language or interpreters for the deaf, braille material for the blind, accessibility or inaccessibility of the centres and existence and non existence of barriers were some of tge factors that would define the success of the election.
He reiterated that people with disability were fully ready to participate in the forthcoming election.
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