Innovative Policy 2019 on Independent Living and Political Participation
An Accessibility Programme for Electoral Processes
| Laws and regulations involved: | Resolution No. 23381/2012: Electoral Justice Accessibility Programme, Electoral Code, and Brazilian Law of Inclusion (LBI) |
|---|---|
| Responsible Body: | Superior Electoral Court |
| Country of Implementation | Brazil |
PROBLEMS TARGETED
People with disabilities do not have equal access to electoral processes in Brazil, as they experience physical, architectural, communicational and attitudinal barriers in the buildings and wards where elections take place.
SOLUTION, INNOVATION, AND IMPACT
The Electoral Justice Accessibility Programme aims to promote broad and unrestricted access to autonomous participation in electoral processes for people with disabilities. The programme implements such measures as placing electoral wards in accessible buildings and providing them with electronic voting machines that have a Braille keyboard and headphones for blind voters, as well as assigning poll workers who can assist people with hearing impairments. To continuously improve the programme, the Superior Electoral Court collects information on the main advances and challenges in accessible electoral processes by sending out surveys to the regional Electoral Courts. Further, by encouraging voters with disabilities or reduced mobility to communicate their restrictions 90 days prior to the election, resources were provided to facilitate the needs of these voters.
In 2018, of the more than 940,000 voters with disabilities in Brazil, over 380,000 benefited from this policy. In addition, the programme aims to remove the physical and communicational barriers in all 479,000-plus polling stations throughout Brazil; and in so doing, citizens learn about the value of accessibility in their schools and other public places.
OUTLOOK, TRANSFERABILITY AND FUNDING
The Electoral Justice Accessibility Programme is funded by the government’s general budget.
The programme works closely with public and private entities to discuss architectural and engineering adaptations in buildings where electoral sites and entities are located and for the overall promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities.
To continually address the barriers to electoral processes, each year the Electoral Courts are required to submit to the Superior Electoral Court a report on the measures taken to meet the programme’s goals as stated in Resolution No. 23381/2012. In the long term, the Brazilian population will benefit from the diversity by having larger, active and effective participation of persons with disabilities.
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