Fijian Elections Office receives voter education material for persons with disability

The Fijian Elections Office today received voter education material for persons with disability.

The Electoral Commission’s vision for the 2022 General Elections is to create a platform for all Fijians to exercise their rights with confidence, security and freedom.

This was stated by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Mukesh Nand who says the Fijian Elections Office has taken direct initiatives to work with disabled persons, organisations and other institutions that have expertise in this area.

Nand says the outcomes of such collaborations does not get mentioned in every day conversations but they are truly significant.

Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem says the Fijian Elections Office took a bold step 7-8 years ago when they approached persons with disability organisations to sign up and build electoral processes together.

Saneem says the FEO has dedicated the highest ranking officer the Director Operations in the operations department to be the chair of this committee.

Fijian Elections Office Director Operations Anaseini Senimoli says the intention has been to ensure the members enjoy their right to vote with as much access to participation, information and knowledge as possible.

She says they have worked with EDAWG members to build on this and the Elections Disability Access Working Group started this year.

Human Rights and Social Development Director Miles Young says this is the first time the voter education material has been available in braille.

Young says the material will be distributed widely to persons with disabilities, carers, elections officials and will be available at poling stations across Fiji.

He adds the material will be made available in other formats, like sign language, audio, video, easy to read print versions with availability in Hindi and iTaukei languages.

He says SPC partnered with FEO and International Foundation for Electoral Systems to produce voter education material for persons with disability including informs which are accessible to persons with disability, mainly those who are blind and impaired.

Young further says SPC support reflects the commitment of members including Fiji and 10 other Pacific Island countries which are ratified the convention on the rights of person with disabilities.