During the 2007 presidential election in Guatemala, two deaf-mute citizens were unable to cast ballots because poll workers were not able to understand them.
In previous elections, this scenario was not uncommon. Approximately 0.5 percent of Guatemalans — 70,000 people — have a disability. With few informed on the needs of the disabled, these individuals have faced challenges in exercising their rights as citizens and frequently encounter discrimination.
Because any citizen may develop a disability at any point in his or her life, it is crucial that countries have firm provisions to ensure no one is precluded from participating in the political process.
To ensure people with disabilities are not similarly deprived of the right to participate in the September general elections, IFES is helping Guatemala’s electoral commission, the Tribunal Supremo Electoral de Guatemala (TSE), introduce measures that will facilitate voting for this segment of the population.
This effort includes voter education for people with disabilities so they are not only able to vote, but able to do so with as much information as the general population.
In Guatemala, the TSE implemented measures during the 2003 and 2007 elections to ensure people with disabilities were able to vote. This included making braille ballots available for blind voters and recruiting approximately 50 volunteers with disabilities to assist on Election Day.
For the upcoming national elections, the TSE is doing more. Since all disabilities are different, the TSE asked IFES to develop a strategic plan that takes individual disabilities into consideration to increase access for all.
IFES began its work by hosting a workshop to analyze and assess the TSE’s previous efforts. The assessment illustrated how crucial it is for all TSE members and poll workers to be familiar with a variety of disabilities so they can recognize them and understand the associated needs.
IFES also helped foster an alliance between the TSE and the Consejo Nacional para la Atención de las Personas con Discapacidad (CONADI), a national council made up of 56 civil society groups and six governmental organizations advocating for people with disabilities in Guatemala.
A section in the poll worker manual that addresses people with disabilities has been expanded. During the last elections the manual contained a short provision — half a page in length —requiring each polling station to have a certain number of braille ballots for voters who might need them.
IFES reviewed the manual and presented an alternative, outlining multiple disabilities and procedures for helping citizens at the polling station. The manual will be used by all poll workers and the thousands of Election Day volunteers who are being trained by the TSE to work in the 17,000 polling stations around the country.
When it was determined that ramps were needed in some places to facilitate voters, IFES launched an aggressive campaign within the donor community to secure funds. The Embassy of Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency responded to the call, among others. In coordination with CONADI and the local organization ASCATED, they were able to secure the necessary ramps.
This will also be the first time in Guatemala’s history that all official communication from the TSE during election weekend will be delivered in sign language.
Equally important to ensuring access at the polling station is making sure the needs of people with disabilities are heard by candidates. Member organizations for CONADI were invited to participate in the presidential and mayoral Town Hall debates in August. With assistance from IFES, the persons with disabilities platform will be presented to the candidates for inclusion in their political agenda.