Total Population
Population with a disability
according to World Health Organization’s 15% estimateRatified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(4) The Minister shall after consultation with the Committee and Independent Electoral Commission-
(a) guarantee that persons with disabilities can exercise their political rights by-
(i) ensuring that political campaigns are fully accessible and easy to understand by all persons with disabilities particularly in the use of the media,
(ii) ensuring that voting procedure, facilities, and materials are appropriate, accessible, and easy to understand and use,
(iii) ensuring that voter registration locations are accessible to persons with disabilities,
(iv) ensuring that polling places in each voting Center have accessible requirements to voters with disabilities including accommodation of voters who use wheelchairs, devices for persons with low vision and tactile ballot templates for visually impaired and deaf-blind persons, and provision of a sign language interpreter for the deaf/hard of hearing.
(v) providing training for poll workers on the rights of the persons with disabilities and the practical means of ensuring their rights,
(vi) ensuring that voters with disabilities have the same degree of information available when casting their ballot as others,
(viii) guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the persons with disabilities as electors, and where necessary, at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice, or
(ix) setting up criteria and procedures to be applied in appointing qualified persons with disabilities to be elected or appointed to represent persons with disabilities in all decision and policy-making process during the elections, through affirmative action or special prescribed arrangements,
(b) actively promote an environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs without discrimination; encourage their participation in the public affairs including-
(i) participation in non-governmental organizations and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country including the activities and administration of political parties, or
(ii) forming and joining organizations of persons with disabilities to represent their interests at all levels.
(5) Where a voting center is inaccessible to persons with disabilities, an alternative location shall be identified and publicized to be used by such persons.
(6) The Government shall initiate and encourage the appointment of persons with disabilities in the organs of Government at all levels.
(7) A person aggrieved by a decision of the Advisory Committee may petition the courts of law or the Ombudsman for a review of the complaint.
(8) Where a person with a disability is a party to any judicial proceedings, the adjudicating body shall take into account the physical and mental condition of the person with a disability.
Article 31 states:
(1) The right of the disabled and handicapped to respect and human dignity shall be recognized by the State and society.
(2) Disabled persons shall be entitled to protection against exploitation and to protection against discrimination, in particular as regards access to health services, education and employment.
(3) In any judicial proceedings in which a disabled person is a party, the procedure shall take his or her condition into account.
Section 17, subsection 3 states:
Where a claimant is incapacitated from affixing his signature or thumbprint on a form of claim, the election officer conducting the registration shall note such circumstances in the register of voters.
Section 66, subsection 10 states:
Where a voter is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause from recording his vote without assistance, the Presiding Officer or other election officer may accompany such voter into the screened compartment to assist him to record his vote.