People with disabilities in Cyprus have called for practical changes to ensure they can participate freely and equally in elections and public life, ahead of the parliamentary vote.
At a press conference on Monday at the Journalists’ House in Nicosia, the Committee for the Protection of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and representatives of self-advocacy groups operating in day centres set out the barriers faced by people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders.
They said some arrangements available to people with other disabilities do not adequately meet their needs.
Barriers to voting
Participants stressed that voting must be easy, private and supported where necessary. They said people with disabilities should be able to receive help when voting, take part in organisations and political parties, and participate in disability organisations.
They also pointed to laws and practices that, they said, restrict electoral participation. One example cited was Law 23 of 1996, which they said declares people with intellectual disabilities “incapable”.
Difficulties were also reported in voter registration, with campaign and official information often not provided in plain language, while websites were described as difficult to understand and not fully accessible.
The groups said exclusion from elections and political life amounts to discrimination.
Call for plain language and support
Among the proposals presented was automatic voter registration, removing the need for people to apply to be included on the electoral roll.
They also called for election information, party programmes and campaign broadcasts to be available in accessible formats and plain language. This could include videos, simplified texts, clear instructions and explanations of what each voter must do.
They stressed that participation is largely a matter of understanding and support, adding that voters must be given time to decide for themselves and the right to choose who assists them, where help is needed.
Polling stations, they said, should provide information in an easy-to-understand format, including illustrated instructions, while election staff should receive appropriate training to assist people with disabilities.
The message to outgoing and candidate MPs also included calls for financial support for day centres, the creation of more such centres and the inclusion of disability rights in election programmes.
The groups further called for policies and projects that take into account the needs of people with disabilities, including independent living services, employment opportunities, state financial support, access to education, social and cultural participation, the right to create a family and own property, and representation wherever decisions affecting them are made.
Source: CNA