EZC CHALLENGED OVER PLIGHT OF THE BLIND

THERE is a need for full engagement of differently abled persons in the electoral process and not segregation, the New Foundation of the Blind in Zambia has said.

Foundation Executive Director, Peter Bwale said that not much was being done by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) in terms of enhancing accessibility to information and voter education among the blind community.

Mr. Bwale said that it was the duty of ECZ to ensure differently abled persons were able to participate on an equal basis with others in the electoral process, as it was broad and goes beyond just voting.

He urged the ECZ to deliberately indicate visibility and provide necessary facilities for differently abled persons to the specific registration and polling stations for their needs to be accommodated.

“I personally visited some centres carrying out voter exercises within Lusaka and to my surprise, the facilities are not friendly enough to accommodate persons with disabilities. For example, there are no spaces for wheelchairs and interpreters.

“ECZ claims to have enhanced accessibility of voter registration but to what extent has that been done?” Mr. Bwale asked.

He told the Scoop in an interview that voter education was important as it must be a continuous process and called for inclusion of all citizens and not ECZ only.

He called for sensitization enhancement on voter education in communities as there was more that citizens needed to learn, adding that the inclusion of differently abled persons throughout the entire voter registration exercise process up to the election time was key in accommodating everyone.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia recently announced that it was enhancing accessibility of the ongoing continuous Voter registration exercise particularly for persons with disabilities.