Our Correspondent
Kohima | January 27
Disability rights activist Diethono Nakhro said voters with disabilities are looking forward to the first accessible elections in Nagaland.
Speaking on behalf of People with Disabilities (PWDs) at the 8th National Voters’ Day (NVD), she said the theme for this year’s observation of NVD ‘Accessible Elections’ was especially significant for the community and particularly when the state is in the middle of the electoral process.
“For too long voters with disability have been ignored and marginalised. For too long there has been no attempt to engage disabled voters by the election machinery and the politicians alike, which is of course only part of a larger picture of inequality that People with Disabilities face here in the State and all over the country,” she said.
She thanked the Chief Election Officer (CEO) and his team for making the participation of PWDs an important part of the electoral process in Nagaland. “Ensuring that persons with disabilities have equal access to registration is key to combating disability discrimination inside and outside the voting booth,” she noted.
Nakhro said registration of voters with disabilities was taken up in the last couple of months.
“I’ve learned that enrolment of voters with disabilities has seen a marked increase which the disability community is happy about, but a huge percentage of disabled voters are still left out or not identified in the electoral roll and this is disappointing,” she said.
The rights activist also requested the CEO to issue directives to the political parties to comply with disability and accessibility laws in their campaigns. “They must be asked to adapt their messaging to accommodate People with Disabilities - this will include campaign materials, information and rallies and meetings, etc. They must give everyone, including people with disabilities, the opportunity to get all necessary information in order to make an educated choice and for their voices to be heard,” she said.
The election process is a good opportunity to make our potential representatives gain some disability insight and awareness which will hopefully lead to a more enlightened government and better governance later. If they want to represent the people of Nagaland, they must represent all the people of Nagaland, including Nagas with disabilities, she said.
“Voting is viewed as one of the most tangible and most important exercises of human rights. Yet for millions of People with Disabilities who are of voting age, this hallmark human right is far too often made extremely difficult or completely denied,” Nakhro said.
In Nagaland, voters with disability have never been counted thus far. She said often times, small changes can make a big difference in ensuring people with disabilities have full and equal access to their right to vote. For instance, making sure that polling locations and parking lots are wheelchair accessible can mean the difference between a person being able to cast his or her ballot or not.
