3619 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "Voting procedures and facilities should be accessible to people with disabilities so that they are able to exercise their democratic rights, and allow, where necessary, the provision of assistance in voting, with respect to the principle that voting must be individual."
- "The application of universal design principles and direct and/or indirect participation of the user in all design stages are effective means for improving the accessibility of polling stations and election procedures to cast one’s vote and for getting access to information on elections."
- "The principle of “equality of opportunity must be guaranteed for parties and candidates alike” (The Code, item I.2.3.a). The application of this principle should be extended to include equality of opportunity for people with disabilities who stand for elections."
- "In all the measures taken to facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life, the authorities and other competent bodies should take into account the fact that persons with disabilities represent various groups in society. They can have a wide variety of impairments, very different personal characteristics and be in varying socio-economic situations."
- "Persons with disabilities should be enabled, freely and without discrimination, particularly of a legal, environmental and/or financial nature, to: - vote and stand for election at all levels; - have access to communication, information, procedures and facilities related to their political rights; - have equal access to public duties; - meet, join or found associations; - meet, join or found political parties; - express their opinions; - be closely consulted and actively included in the development and implementation of legislation and policies, and in other decision-making processes concerning issues that affect them."
- "Participatory democracy for persons with disabilities involves accessibility of premises, services and goods, procedures, rules, information and communications. Failure to guarantee accessibility by means of universal design and reasonable accommodations would infringe the rights and the dignity of persons with disabilities and the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunities. "
- "The built environment is a challenge to persons with disabilities when they wish to participate in public affairs and when they defend their rights, for example in the judicial sphere (see Article 13 of the UNCRPD). Member states should avoid and prevent the creation of barriers in access to the built environment."
- "Legislative and other appropriate measures should be adopted in order to guarantee the removal, within a reasonable time, of existing physical obstacles hampering access to places where public affairs such as central and local administrative activities and judicial proceedings are conducted. The same recommendation applies to political activities such as campaigns and elections; it is recommended to organise all public meetings and events in accessible premises."
- "To enable persons with disabilities to participate fully in political and public life, member states should take appropriate measures to guarantee them effective non-discriminatory access to and supply of relevant goods and services, including transportation and other indoor and outdoor facilities, which are open or provided to the general public, both in urban and rural areas. Measures to be taken by member states or providers of goods and services should not impose a disproportionate burden, or require fundamental alteration of goods and services in question or require the provision of alternatives thereto. "
- "Member states should take steps to ensure that information on public affairs and political activities (including electoral programmes) are available in various forms (including sign language, Braille, audio, electronic and easy-to-read and understand versions)."
- "Universal design principles should be used to design, develop, implement and promote new technologies, including assistive technologies and equipment, which could facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life. These technologies and equipment should be accessible and affordable to all those who need them. "
- "Accessible ballot papers and facilities should be available at the time of voting. Information about accessibility of voting procedures, ballots and facilities, through communications in easy-to-read and to understand formats, should be largely disseminated in advance, in order to encourage citizens to participate in political and public life."
- "All persons with disabilities, whether they have physical, sensory, or intellectual impairments, mental health problems or chronic illnesses, have the right to vote on the same basis as other citizens, and should not be deprived of this right by any law limiting their legal capacity, by any judicial or other decision or by any other measure based on their disability, cognitive functioning or perceived capacity. All persons with disabilities are also entitled to stand for office on an equal basis with others and should not be deprived of this right by any law restricting their legal capacity, by any judicial or other decision based on their disability, cognitive functioning or perceived capacity, or by any other means."
- "Member states should ensure that their legislation is devoid, at all levels, of provisions depriving persons with disabilities of the right to vote or stand for election."
- "Persons with disabilities and/or their representative organisations should be involved in the whole policy cycle: programming, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies that affect persons with disabilities. "
- "Consequently, member states should ensure that polling stations and ballot papers are fully accessible and that measures are for instance taken to enable persons with disabilities to vote without assistance (by providing facilities in polling stations for instant access to information, for example pocket instruments or other tactile devices to be placed on the ballot papers to help blind or partially-sighted people)."
- "Where persons with disabilities need assistance in order to vote or express their opinion, member states should ensure that they are allowed to be accompanied by a person of their choice, for example in the voting booth when casting their vote. “Assistance” here means helping the person with disabilities to express his or her decision, not taking the decision in his or her place."
- "To this end, member states should introduce mechanisms to enable persons with disabilities to vote by other means, where travel to conventional polling stations is a major obstacle to their political participation."
- "Alternative ways of voting should only be used in cases where it is not possible, or it is extremely difficult, for persons with disabilities to vote in polling stations, like everyone else. General reliance on voting assistance and alternative voting as a way to ensure the political participation of persons with disabilities would not be consistent with the general obligations undertaken by States parties under articles 4 and 29 of the Convention. "