INEC carries out an inclusion campaign in Ondo and provides disabled voters with special voting tools

Daud Olatunji

The Independent National Electoral Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to preventing the disenfranchisement of persons with disabilities in Ondo State by unveiling measures to improve their access to polling units and enable them to vote independently.

The commission gave the assurance during a one-day sensitization workshop on its disability interventions, organized by the INEC state office in Ondo to familiarize persons with disabilities with measures designed to promote their participation in the elections.

The workshop brought together leaders from various disability groups, including people with visual and hearing impairments, people with albinism and other members of the disability community.

Speaking at the event, the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Olaleke Agboke, said the commission was taking deliberate steps to remove barriers that may prevent persons with disabilities from fully participating in the electoral process.

Agboke said the interventions include efforts to improve accessibility to polling units and provide assistive devices to help eligible voters with disabilities vote independently while preserving the secrecy of their vote.

He urged the participants to share the information obtained during the workshop with members of their respective groups across the State to ensure that more persons with disabilities understand the facilities available and how to use them during elections.

The REC also assured participants that adequate security measures will be taken to protect voters from intimidation, encouraging them to exercise their right to vote without fear.

He also assured qualified members of the disabled community who had applied to serve as ad hoc staff during the upcoming elections that their applications would be duly considered.

Agboke’s assurances come amid long-standing concerns about physical, communication and other barriers that can limit the participation of people with disabilities in Nigeria’s electoral process.

In his response, the Ondo State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Abiodun Oluwasegun, commended INEC for its interventions to make voting more accessible to members of the disabled community.

Oluwasegun expressed optimism that the initiatives will encourage more persons with disabilities to actively participate in elections, stressing the importance of removing obstacles that may discourage eligible voters from exercising their civil rights.

During the technical sessions, a representative of the Director of INEC’s Gender and Inclusion Department at the commission’s headquarters, Mrs. Awelewa Mojisola, demonstrated how assistive devices could be used to facilitate voting.

Devices on display included magnifying glasses for visually impaired voters, Braille voting guides for blind voters, and posters designed to facilitate communication with people with hearing impairments.

Participants also engaged in hands-on demonstrations to familiarize themselves with the devices and understand their application during elections.

The objective of the exercise was to provide leaders of disability groups with the knowledge needed to guide their members in the use of facilities and encourage wider participation in the electoral process.

INEC reiterated its commitment to strengthening electoral inclusiveness, arguing that no eligible voter should be denied the opportunity to participate in elections due to disability.

The commission’s success, however, will depend not only on the availability of assistive devices, but also on their effective deployment, accessible voting environments, adequate voter training, and the ability of election officials to respond to the needs of voters with disabilities.

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