Persons with disabilities face challenges related to ensuring of right to vote

The persons with disabilities in the Republic of Moldova often face challenges owing to the limited access to accessible information in the pre-electoral period, due to the shortcomings in organizing voting at polling stations and to the low level of accessibility of ballots. An Accessibility Map drafted by the Association “Motivație” shows that of 1,619 assessed facilities, only 172 are accessible to persons with disabilities, Victoria Boțan, PR specialist of “Motivație”, stated for IPN.



“As an Association, the problem we want to solve within the project “Citizens with abilities vote for a country free form disabilities” is the reduced participation of the persons with disabilities in the decision-making process owing to the organizational procedures that do not take into account the necessities of the persons with disabilities and to the low motivation of this category of citizens to be active and to exercise their rights, including the right to vote. We consider that by the massive presence at polling booths of persons with different types of disabilities, we will sensitize the authorities so that they create conditions of accessibility at polling stations,” stated Victoria Boțan.
 
Recently, the team of “Motivație” staged four simulations of the election day – two in Leova and two in Șoldănești. “The participants in these simulations were invited to vote at an ordinary polling station and then at an accessible polling stations so as to assess both of the stations and to make a difference between them. The model polling station met the standards for all types of disability: locomotor, visual, hearing, intellectual, with a strip of a contrasting color, direction signs inside the station and the map of the polling station being used. The participants noted the importance of creating equal conditions for each citizen,” said Victoria Boțan.



She noted that in the event, a number of participants underlined the differences between the two polling stations, both in Leova and in Șoldănești, and said that they will use different elements to lay out the polling stations where they will work. Moreover, they could see that a polling station can be made accessible at reduced costs and only increased openness on the part of the community members is needed.