APPRODIS
The Right to Vote for People with Disabilities

Introduction

It is estimated that there are a minimum of 3.5 million people with disabilities in Peru. Of this 3.5 million, one third are eligible to participate in electoral processes, which is to say that this segment of the population has the right to elect and to be elected.

It is a reality in Peru that people with disabilities do not have the full opportunities to participate in political processes and to be represented in the government, a fact that makes insertion into mainstream society extremely difficult.

According to a March 2000 study by the Defensoria del Pueblo of Peru, the principle problems that people with disabilities face in exercising their right to vote are:

• Having to wait in long lines in order to vote.

• Inaccessible voting locations

• Transportation difficulties

• The presence of architectural barriers

• Lack of understanding and education on behalf of electoral officials

• Lack of knowledge on behalf of the electoral authorities and voting officials about the specific measures needed to allow people with disabilities the opportunity to vote under the same conditions as other citizens.

The above mentioned complications prevent people with disabilities from utilizing voting centers in Peru. The lack of communication, education, and information about the needs of people with disabilities and the need to protect their civil rights, creates major obstacles that inhibit equal voting conditions for people with disabilities.

The Right to Participate in Electoral Processes Project

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Canadian Corporation and IFES (the International Foundation for Electoral systems), APRODDIS was able to launch the project: The Right for People with Disablities to Vote. The first of it´s kind, this project is being implemented by APRODDIS and grassroots organizations for people with disabilities in Peru. The project aims at determining the level of participation and interest of disabled persons in the electoral processes of Peru. Most importantly, this project seeks to achieve veritable improvements in the participation of people with disabilities in the electoral processes of Peru.

Once the project has been completed, conclusions will be drawn and a final report will be produced that will contribute to the increased participation of people with disabilities in the electoral processes of Peru.

General Objective

We hope to contribute to the strengthening of democratic processes in Peru through the improvement of equal and accessible participation of disabled persons in the general elections of 2001 and those to follow.

Goals and Objectives

• Train 200 people with disabilities to be observers in the general elections of 2001 in coordination with the non-profit organization Transparencia.

• Deliver seminars to the electoral coordinators of ONPE (National Office for Electoral Processes) so that they offer improved measures to facilitate voting for people with disabilities.

• Conduct focus groups to establish preliminary information about the participation of people with disabilities in the electoral processes of Peru, with the goal of improving the accessibility and policy standards in the upcoming elections and in those to follow.

• Promote greater participation of people with disabilities in the electoral process by means of a media campaign.

Activities

To achieve these objectives the following lines of action and activities have been developed:

1. Awareness and Training Seminars (click here to see
the pictures)
2. Media Campaign (click here to watch the TV ad)
3. Focus Groups

Electoral Observation Training with Transparencia

At the onset of the project, our goal was to train more than 200 people with disabilities from 12 cities nationwide to be electoral observers in the upcoming elections. An agreement was signed between APRODDIS and Transparencia to conduct these seminars in Lima, the capital city, and in 11 other cities (Puno, Arequipa, Cuzco, Ayacucho, Huancayo, Trujillo, Piura, Cajamarca, Huaraz, Huanuco and Iquitos)

Once these 200 people completed the electoral observation trainings, they were to fulfill their duties as electoral observers during the general elections on April 8th, 2001 in their respective cities. (As well as in the second round to the elections).

Results:

Due to the high demand for awareness and training seminars, we managed to train a total of 307 observers (172 in the provinces and 135 in Lima), 107 over our initial estimate of 200. All attendants were provided with the information necessary in order to observe the elections. Some of these seminars were conducted by members of Transparencias, while others were facilitated by APRODDIS.

Awareness Seminars with the Electoral Coordinators of ONPE

In the beginning stages of the project, we had hoped to conduct 12 seminars directed at the national coordinators of the electoral process in the same cities stated above. These seminars would focus on how ONPE and its coordinators would work to ensure the right to vote for people with disabilities in the upcoming elections.

The seminars were based on the resolutions published by the Defensoria del Pueblo (Ombudsman office) and ONPE, which focus on concrete steps to be taken in ensuring the right to vote for people with disabilities. The seminars reinforced their points, while adding other critical insights on how to better account for people with disabilities.

Results:

Surpassing our original goal, 19 seminars were conducted, instead of the 12 we originally planned. Two teams travelled to the 12 Peruvian cities listed above. The leader of each team conducted one seminar for the local and district coordinators of ONPE in each of the cities. Each seminar covered basic statistics on people with disabilities, National and International legislation in favor of disabled persons, and suggested actions. The teams provided local ONPE representatives with essential materials and information which were to be disseminated in order to promote voting among disabled persons in the 2001 General Election. The grand total of ONPE coordinators that were trained was way beyond what we had expected. A total of 2118 coordinators were trained (898 people in the provinces and 1220 people in Lima).

Media Campaign

Several months prior to the election, APRODDIS launched a media campaign which included 2 radio messages and 1 T.V. commercial. The purpose of the campaign was to promote the participation of disabled people in the 2001 General Elections and those that follow. The content of the message was developed by the APRODDIS team, the DEfensoria del Pueblo, and ONPE. The campaign was successfully launched on March 10th, with the commercials (1 30 second one and 1 60 second one) transmitted to 8 national channels 3 times a week until April 6th. To view the commercial, click above in the "Activities" section.

Distribution of Election Materials Nationwide

As part of a mutual agreement, APRODDIS and ONPE prepared informative materials about the rights of disabled persons to participate in electoral processes and helpful techniques which facilitate exercising these rights. These materials consisted of a poster which was displayed in voting centers throughout the country as well as a registration form which allowed us to more accurately identify the number of disabled people who would be voting in the 2001 elections.

Focus Groups

A study on the participation of people with disabilities in the electoral processes of Peru will be developed by means of focus groups. These focus groups will consist of informal discussions with a maximum of 10 participants in each. They will address different issues relative to the elections in a substantive manner.

The primary objective of the focus groups is to understand the difficulties that people with disabilities face in exercising their right to vote, as well as their experiences in accessing campaign and electoral information.

This study will offer a base line for future actions from both the perspective of civil society as well as the government on how to better facilitate the free participation of people with disabilities in the electoral processes of Peru.

Contributing organizations

• Defensoria del Pueblo www.ombudsman.gob.pe

• ONPE (Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales) www.onpe.gob.pe

• Transparencia www.transparencia.org.pe

• IFES (International Foundation for Electoral Systems) http://www.ifes.org/

• CANADIAN AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT