ELECTIONS TO BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

ARMENPRESS
Apr 09 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 9, ARMENPRESS: The alliance of non-governmental
organizations founded to help people with disabilities has designed
a scheme to make national elections more accessible to blind and
visually impaired Armenian citizens.

Suren Ohanian, chairman of Paros non-governmental organization, said
now these people can vote with special voting boards, for the first
time in Armenia.

He said 4,000 such boards will be printed and distributed to precincts
which have blind of visually impaired voters. Three testing samples
were printed and proved successful, he said. Until now blind and
visually impaired people voted with the help of assistants and their
right to privacy was violated.

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) has helped
the Alliance to print these boards.

Suren Ohanian said also special 8 ballot-boxes will be available for
people with movement disabilities in eight Armenian towns.

He said the Central Election Commission is shooting now two special
video trails for people with hearing problems. The trails will be
with gesture translation and will be aired on TVs ahead of the May
12 parliamentary elections.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress