Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections

96 Pages·2014·3.24 MB·English

Equal Access
How to Include Persons with Disabilities in
Elections and Political Processes
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USAID
FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
This manual was produced for review by the United States Agency for Internatonal Development (US-
AID). It was prepared by the Internatonal Foundaton for Electoral Systems and the Natonal Demo-
cratc Insttute. The authors’ views expressed in this publicaton do not necessarily refect the view of
USAID or the United States Government.
Equal Access
How to Include Persons with Disabilities in
Elections and Political Processes
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Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilites in Electons and Politcal Processes
© 4102 yb .S EFI lA st hgir .de rese v r
noisimre P :t neme t a tS oN trap fo siht kro w y am eb decudo rpe r ni y na mro f ro yb y na ,snaem cino rtcele ro ,la cinahcem gnidulcni gniy po ,co tohp - e r
cording or by any informaton storage and retrieval system without the writen permission of IFES.
Requests for permission should include the following informaton:
• A descripton of the material for which permission to copy is desired.
• ehT esoprup ro f hcihw eht c deipo laire t am liw eb desu dna eht renam ni hcihw ti liw eb .desu
• Your name, ttle, company or organizaton name, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address and mailing address.
esaelP dnes la st seuqe r ro f noisimrep :o t
Internatonal Foundaton for Electoral Systems
1850 K Street, NW, Fifh Floor
,no t gnihsa W .C . D 602
:liam- E g ro.S
This publicaton is dedicated to Yusdiana, an ambassador for the disability community. Her treless
eforts provided contnued inspiraton to her partners in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilites in Electons and Politcal Processes V
About IFES and NDI
Internatonal Foundaton for Electoral Systems
The Internatonal Foundaton for Electoral Systems (IFES) supports citzens’ right to partcipate in free and fair
electons. Our independent expertse strengthens electoral systems and builds local capacity to deliver sus-
tainable solutons.

As the global leader in democracy promoton, we advance good governance and democratc rights by:
• Providing technical assistance to electon ofcials
• Empowering the underrepresented to partcipate in the politcal process
• Applying feld-based research to improve the electoral cycle
IFES has extensive experience in leading initatves around the world that promote electoral and politcal en-
franchisement of persons with disabilites. IFES collaborates with a cross-secton of disabled persons’ organiza-
tons, as well as civil society groups and governments. This includes applying expertse to global tools such as
www.ElectonAccess.org – the frst online global resource on politcal partcipaton of persons with disabilites.
In recogniton of its eforts, IFES received the InterActon Disability Inclusion Award in 2011.
Since 1987, IFES has worked in over 135 se i r t n u o c– from developing democracies, to mature democracies.
For more informaton, visit www.IFES.org and www.ElectonAccess.org.
Natonal Democratc Insttute
The Natonal Democratc Insttute (NDI) is a nonproft, nonpartsan, nongovernmental organizaton that re-
sponds to the aspiratons of people around the world to live in democratc societes that recognize and pro-
e t o m c i s a b n a m u . h s t h g i r
Since its founding in 1983, NDI and its local partners have worked to support and strengthen democratc inst-
tutons and practces by strengthening politcal partes, civic organizatons and parliaments, safeguarding elec-
tons, and promotng citzen partcipaton, openness and accountability in government.
With staf members and volunteer politcal practtoners from more than 100 natons, NDI brings together
individuals and groups to share ideas, knowledge, experiences and expertse. Partners receive broad exposure
to best practces in internatonal democratc development that can be adapted to the needs of their own
countries. NDI’s multnatonal approach reinforces the message that while there is no single democratc mod-
, l e n i a t r ee cs r e o l p c i c n ie r pr a d e r a h s y b . s le il ac a r c o m e d
The Insttute’s work upholds the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaraton of Human Rights. It also pro-
motes the development of insttutonalized channels of communicatons among citzens, politcal insttutons
and elected ofcials, and strengthens their ability to improve the quality of life for all citzens. For more info-r
maton about NDI, please visit www.NDI.org.
Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilites in Electons and Politcal Processes IV
Acknowledgements
ehT Equal Access manual was writen by Virginia Atkinson of the Internatonal Foundaton for Electoral
Systems (IFES) and Aaron Azelton and Kent Fogg of the Natonal Democratc Insttute (NDI).
IFES and NDI would like to express deep grattude to the many organizatons and individuals who lent
their expertse and tme toward the development of this manual. The fnal product benefted tremen-
dously from the insightul feedback of the following peer reviewers and organizatons:
• Patrick Clarke – Chief Executve, Down Syndrome Ireland
• Cristna Francisco – Founder of Circle of Women with Disabilites, Dominican Republic
• Susan Henderson – Executve Director, Disability Rights and Educaton Defence Fund, U.S.-based
• Anna Lawson – Associate Professor, Disability Rights and Law, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
• Farai Mukuta – Executve Director, Natonal Associaton of Societes for the Care of the
,depa cidnaH e w babmiZ
• Alexandria Panehal – United States Agency for Internatonal Development/Dominican Republic,
noisiM ro tce riD
• Hicham Rachidi – Consultant, Moroccan Collectve for the Promoton of the Rights of Persons
with Disabilites
• Susan Sygall – Co-founder and CEO, Mobility Internatonal USA
• Stefan Tromel – Executve Director, Internatonal Disability Alliance, Switzerland-based
• Yusdiana – Senior Disability Rights Adviser, Indonesia Disabled People’s Associaton
• Center for Society Orientaton, Serbia
• Youth with Disabilites Forum, Serbia
IFES and NDI would also like to extend a warm thanks to colleagues who provided technical support
based on their experiences working with electon management bodies and civil society groups, including:
David Ennis, Kyle Lemargie and Maximo Zaldivar of IFES and Jelena Abramovic, Pat Merloe and Thomas
Kelly of NDI. This manual is a beter product thanks to the keen eye of Erica Shein and the editng and
graphic design talent of Bella Desai and Jayne Miller of IFES.
, ylt saL ti dluo w ton e v ah neb elbisop ot e t ae rc eht Equal Access launam tuohtiw gno rt s tropus mo rf
the United States Agency for Internatonal Development, in partcular thanks to Rob Horvath and Leah
Maxson.
Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilites in Electons and Politcal Processes XI