GCOPD and IFES conducted an observation of Guyana’s Local Government Elections held on June 12, 2023, to assess the level of access and inclusion for persons with disabilities. The observation mission found that while there were several measures in place to facilitate access and inclusion, there were areas for improvement.
Some of the key findings from the observation mission included:
- Physical Accessibility: Many polling stations did not have appropriate facilities for persons with disabilities. For example, some polling stations lacked ramps, while others had steps that were too steep to be navigated by wheelchair users.
- Voting Assistance: There was a lack of trained voting assistants who were able to provide the necessary assistance to persons with disabilities. Some assistants did not receive adequate training on how to assist persons with disabilities, resulting in some cases where voters with disabilities were unable to cast their votes.
- Awareness: The observation mission found that there was a lack of awareness among election officials and the general public regarding the rights and needs of persons with disabilities.
- Data Collection: There was a lack of reliable data on the number of persons with disabilities who were eligible to vote, making it difficult to plan for the necessary accommodations.
The observation mission recommended that the Government of Guyana should address these issues by:
- Providing appropriate facilities that are accessible to persons with disabilities, including ramps, signage, and other accommodations.
- Ensuring that election officials and voting assistants receive adequate training on how to assist persons with disabilities, including the use of assistive technology.
- Increasing awareness and education programs aimed at improving the understanding of the rights and needs of persons with disabilities.
- Ensuring that reliable data is collected on the number and needs of persons with disabilities, to better plan for accommodations.
The GCOPD and IFES hope these recommendations will be taken into consideration as Guyana continues to work towards promoting and protecting the rights and access of all persons, including persons with disabilities.
These findings were also presented at the National Youth with Disabilities Conference in November.
