Disabled urged to register and vote

By SALLY POKITON
UPNG journalism student
DISABLED people, especially in rural areas, will be encouraged to register and vote in the 2012 elections, Brown Kapi said yesterday.
Kapi, chairman for the Papua New Guinea National Board for Disabled Persons, said for many it would be the first time they would vote in an election.
He said the Electoral Commission had mandated a disability advisory committee to set up a pilot project to get people living with disabilities involved in the 2012 election.
Disability services providers like Cheshire Disability Services, Red Cross special education and the Papua New Guinea Rehabilitation Centre will start the pilot project in Port Moresby.
Kapi said although they were yet to confirm dates, registration of disabled people for the election would start at the PNG Rehabilitation Centre in Hohola, Port Moresby.
He said this pilot pro ject would be a major achievement for people living with disabilities as most had never exercised their right of choosing their leaders.
Kapi said statistics from the World Health Organisation showed that more than 15% of people or 800,000 lived with some form of disability in the country.
He said the advisory committee came up with four strategic locations in Lae, Mt Hagen, Kokopo and Port Moresby from the four regions to have trial polling booths established for registration and casting of votes by disabled people.
“The Electoral Commission has done the right thing by giving special consideration for people living with disabilities to participate so I encourage disabled people to take the opportunity to enrol and be there to cast their votes,” Kapi said.
He said in the case of blind people, “if the commission does not come up with the appropriate facilities and technology such as talking computers to help them vote they could use the Braille system or the names of candidates will be read out to them”.
Kapi called on the government to come up with inclusive activities to remove barriers for people living with disabilities so they could take part and help in the country’s development.