PEOPLE with disabilities (PWDs) claim they are being denied access to election-related information and have pleaded with authorities to avail information in braille format.
In an interview, Ranganai Magombedze, a visually-impaired disability activist said PWDs face a myriad of challenges in accessing information related to elections.
“We believe there is a lack of will on the side of information disseminators to allow people with disabilities to access election-related information,” Magombedze said.
A disability consultant, Masimba Kuchera, also said PWDs faced exclusion from active political participation as seen by less than 0,3% of them taking part in this year’s election.
“Access to information in accessible formats such as braille, large print and sign language, access to polling stations, notwithstanding section 51 of the Electoral Act, to ensure that PWDs have access to information in a format they understand remains a pipe dream,” Kuchera said.
In 2020, organisations representing the visually impaired and deaf sued government over non-availability of information on COVID-19 in a format which is accessible to them.
