An Action Plan For Electoral Participation of People with Disabilites: Sierra Leone Case Study

An Action Plan For Electoral Participation of People with Disabilites
Sierra Leone Case Study
Volume II, Paper IV
July, 2001

Political Access for People with Disabilities

AN ACTION PLAN

FOR REAL ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION

BY CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES IN SIERRA LEONE

1101 15th St. NW 3rd Floor
Washington DC 20005 USA
202/828-8507 FAX 202/452-0804
www.ifes.org

Table of Contents

AN ACTION PLAN
FOR REAL ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION
BY THE DISABLED IN SIERRA LEONE

I. Executive Summary

II. Background on IFES Disability Programming

III. Findings in Sierra Leone

IV. Recommendations for Action

A. For the National Electoral Commission (NEC)

B. For Groups Representing or Assisting the Disabled

C. Action Needed from the World Community

Appendices

A. List of Organizations and Leaders Interviewed for this Report 14

For more information visit the People with Disabilites page.

I. Executive Summary

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) was invited by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Sierra Leone to assist in developing a plan to promote the electoral enfranchisement of citizens with disabilities. IFES is a recognized provider of technical assistance in elections and has a particular expertise in the area of empowering citizens with disabilities. IFES has performed work in Sierra Leone since 1999 and is currently providing direct assistance to the NEC in anticipation of presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2001.

Through a grant from the Foreign Ministry of Finland, IFES fielded Mr. Paul DeGregorio to Sierra Leone from June 16-23, 2001. Mr. DeGregorio has considerable international experience in elections and democracy-building, and is Director of Outreach Development for the University of Missouri-St. Louis, USA. The National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone directed Mr. Ibraham Kalleh, a 12-year veteran of the NEC and District Elections Officer, to participate in all discussions. Mssrs. DeGregorio and Kalleh met with representatives of a wide array of disability organizations and people with disabilities in Sierra Leone. They also had consultations with the Chief Electoral Commissioner/Chairman and senior officials from the National Electoral Commission.

Sierra Leone's long civil war, and the events following the coup of May 25, 1997, brought unprecedented social and economic disaster to the country. According to UNDP (United Nations Development Program), CAUSE Canada and other sources, it is estimated that 3.2 million people were directly affected by the war and the aftermath of the May coup. It is believed that as a result of the war, more than 3000 people have had limbs forcibly amputated; about 80% lost either one or both hands. It is also estimated that approximately another 2,500 people (or more) have endured either severe machete lacerations or permanently debilitating gun-shot wounds. In addition to those affected by the war, there are tens of thousands of other Sierra Leoneans who have become disabled due to diseases such as polio, leprosy, malaria, AIDs, and other debilitating illnesses. Some estimates put the number of disabled in Sierra Leone as high as 100,000 people, including some 28,000 who suffer some form of blindness. The literacy rate for Sierra Leone is a mere 21% and life expectancy has hit an all-time low of 32. years.

The findings of the IFES/NEC team indicate that people with disabilities in Sierra Leone strongly believe that they are treated as second-class citizens ("third-class", to use their exact terminology). Disabled citizens spoke repeatedly of being turned away from registration sites and polling places in the 1996 elections and regarded as not being capable of voting. They also discussed their physical inability to access registration and polling sites and, when they could, having to stand for hours waiting to vote only to leave before casting a ballot due to fatigue. Thousands of disabled persons have been displaced from their villages and homes, and their natural networks to obtain basic information. Voter and civic education for disabled persons is non-existent. The constitution does not mention anything about voting rights for the disabled. There are no current laws that mandate access for the disabled and the 1995 electoral law only discusses how a person with a disability can ask someone to assist them in marking their ballot, if they are unable to do so. The election law is silent on access to polling stations or registration sites by the disabled. Several disabled groups viewed the National Electoral Commission as a branch of the government and not interested in their needs. At the same time, most were very grateful that a representative of the NEC participated in the meetings. They were also pleased to learn that NEC has placed the needs of the disabled in its five-year strategic plan. Many newly-disabled persons, particularly amputees, had little faith in the election process and had much anger for politicians. Perhaps the most frequent complaint heard was aimed at their fellow able-bodied citizens, who regularly discriminate and treat disabled citizens with disrespect.

IFES has recommended an action plan and specific steps that can be taken to promote political access for the people with disabilities in Sierra Leone. They include:

For the National Electoral Commission (NEC)

• Establish a broad-based ad hoc advisory committee to the National Electoral Commission (NEC) that would advise the Commission regarding the special needs of the disabled in the voting process.
• Include a member of the ad hoc advisory committee on the NEC-convened National Consultative Committee, which is a forum of registered political parties and civil society organizations which meets regularly with the NEC to discuss the electoral process. Representatives of disability organizations should also be included in the Regional Consultative Committees.
• Designate a NEC staffer at the national, regional and local levels who can serve as a liaison with disability groups.
• Include people with disabilities as an integral part of the election process by having them serve as registrars, returning officers, and officers at the polling stations.
• Initiate a strong voter education and public outreach program to government agencies, NGOs, groups, churches, mosques, international organizations and others involved with disabled persons to disseminate information regarding the registration period, the registration sites, polling place sites and other election-related information aimed at the general public. This would include the development and distribution of promotional materials, posters, radio and TV spots, cassette tapes (for the blind) and the like. Such material should be in Braille, and any publicity campaigns should also take into consideration the special needs of deaf voters.
• Ensure that as many registration and polling place sites as possible are accessible to disabled persons. NEC should work with disability groups to determine such sites.
• Provide Braille ballots and a non-Braille tactile template at all polling stations, or develop a pilot project to use Braille ballots and non-Braille templates in selected locations where there are heavy concentrations of blind voters. The tactile template is an alternative to the Braille ballot due to the fact that most blind citizens in Sierra Leone do not understand Braille.
• Include a component regarding the special needs of the disabled in all training conducted by the NEC, especially that of voter registrars, local returning officers, and other election officials.
• Recommend to Parliament new language for the election law that would encourage registration and polling place accessibility for disabled voters. Allow a provision in the law that would allow for registration forms and ballots boxes to be taken to home-bound disabled voters. Permit the use of Braille and/or tactile ballots or templates which can be used by blind voters.
• Working with the government of Sierra Leone, NEC should provide leadership to sensitize the general public regarding the need to treat people with disabilities with respect and recognize that they are an integral part of Sierra Leone society and possess every right to participate in the election.
• Invite international organizations and technical experts to assist in the continued development of programs designed to provide political access to people with disabilities.

For Groups Representing or Assisting the Disabled

• Conduct seminars, symposiums, and workshops to promote the active participation of those with disabilities in the upcoming election. Such meetings should focus on voter registration, voting, and active political participation so that their issues can be part of the public policy discussion of the campaign.
• Cooperate with the NEC and other election officials to inform them of the special needs of the disabled. Provide list of people who may serve as registrars, returning officers, electoral assistants, or trainers. Suggest registration sites and polling locations.
• Field observers at a minimum of 10% of the registration and polling locations (about 540 sites) so that they can be available to assist disabled voters, if necessary, to monitor the treatment of disabled voters, and to survey the accessibility of the location.
• Regularly meet with political parties, candidates, and agents to determine their platform regarding the disabled and whether any person with a disability is included on a party list or at a leadership level with the party.
• Institute "Youth Voting" pilot project. Organizations representing young disabled persons (such as the Sierra Leone Handicap Youth Development Association-SLHYDA) should be encouraged to conduct "mock" registration, public policy discussions, and mock voting for young people under the age of 18 (and include those without a disability). This program is designed to promote an awareness of the election process among young people and develop sorely-needed self-esteem.

Action Needed from the World Community

o Sierra Leone is a country devastated by war and experiencing some of the most difficult economic conditions imaginable. In order to implement many of these recommendations effectively, adequate funding is a necessity. A proper voter education project would include printed materials, posters, cassette tapes, media advertisements and the like. Sierra Leone organizations representing the disabled operate with little or no funding and in locations that are sometimes indescribable. By providing sub-grants to local disability groups to focus exclusively on facilitating the participation of the disabled in the election, such groups would not have to take resources away from other priorities. In addition such funds and activities would serve to strengthen the organizations. In order to field observers, conduct workshops, symposiums, and other grassroots activities that will really reach the disabled, these groups will need funding. The National Electoral Commission is not likely to have any money for Braille ballots, tactile template which can be used by blind voters or to print materials in Braille or have available on cassette tape. Technical advisors loaned or funded by international organizations could help facilitate and provide momentum to implement the recommendations outlined in this report.

o IFES should provide the National Electoral Commission and disability groups with sample materials, laws, training programs, and other documents used in other countries which focus specifically on the needs the disabled.

The problems and lack of political participation cited by people with disabilities in Sierra Leone are serious and warrant immediate attention. Sources of funding from the world community should be sought to help empower the disabled of Sierra Leone, who have been described as the poorest of the poor, the ignored and forgotten, and people whose lives and livelihood have been changed forever by some of the cruelest acts ever seen by mankind.

II. Background on IFES Disability Programming

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) is an internationally recognized provider of technical assistance to electoral agencies and democratic institutions in over 100 nations. Based in Washington, DC, IFES currently has offices in over 20 nations. IFES is committed to expanding the reach of democracy to all individuals, and has been working since 1998 to promote the electoral enfranchisement of people with disabilities. Through its newer partner IFES Ltd, based in London, IFES has diversified its sources of funding and expanded capabilities.

IFES' efforts have been recognized through a series of grants from the Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and from the Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Finnish funds are used to support three activities: research on constitutions, election laws, and election practices to assess accessibility concerns; pilot projects to election commissions to expand access to voters with disabilities; and election observation missions to assess the manner in which voters with disabilities participate in elections. Swedish funds are earmarked for at least six election observation efforts in which IFES will enable local disability organizations to take part as election observers in their own countries.

In Sierra Leone, Finnish funds have been used to conduct this initial project, which is designed to promote the electoral enfranchisement of citizens with disabilities by providing technical advice and proposals to the National Electoral Commission and other groups. Serious discussions with a significant number of local NGO organizations and groups representing the disabled, the NEC, and a review of the election law and procedures led to the following findings and recommendations.

III. Findings in Sierra Leone

a. There is a wide and strong consensus that people with disabilities in Sierra Leone believe they are treated as second-class citizens and suffer tremendous discrimination in many areas-including the voting process. Story after story was told of those who were turned away from voter registration sites or polling places in the 1996 election and told they could not participate because they were blind or handicapped and therefore possessed some kind of "illness" which should prevent them from voting. People with disabilities were subjected to great humiliation when asked by election officials and the public "What are you doing here?" when they arrived to register or vote at their polling station.

b. In 1996, long queues at polling stations that forced citizens to stand for two to three hours to vote resulted in many disabled voters being unable to cope with such conditions and forcing them to leave polling stations before they had the opportunity to cast a ballot. While some polling stations allowed disabled persons to move to the head of the line, many did not. Also, at some polling stations that did permit disabled voters to move to the head of the line, voters and election officials expressed their resentment towards such action and showed little sensitivity towards the physical needs and limitations of the disabled.

c. Physical accessibility to registration sites and polling stations is an issue that must be addressed. Oftentimes, voters in wheelchairs and with other physical limitations are simply unable to gain access to the registration/polling sites. This leads to discouragement and a defeatist attitude among the disabled. Poor roads, water runoffs, steps and registration/polling sites on second story buildings have made it difficult, if not impossible for some disabled voters to participate. In rural villages, some blind and handicapped voters are forced to put their lives at risk by having to traverse rivers in boats just to have the opportunity to vote in the election.

d. Due to the war, AIDS and other causes, in recent years Sierra Leone has experienced a very significant increase in the number of people with a disability. This will increase the need for even greater sensitivity to their needs in the electoral process for the upcoming election.

e. Thousands of disabled persons have been displaced from their villages and homes as a result of the war. This has disrupted their familiarity with local officials, person-to-person contact, and mass communication networks, as well as other traditional sources of obtaining basic information.

f. There is a vital need for voter and civic education among the disabled, particularly at the grassroots level, to insure that voters are aware of the registration period, the registration sites, and of the polling stations. Due to the high illiteracy rate among the general population, including the disabled, voting instructions need to be simple and advertised in the mass media and at the grassroots level.

g. In order to reach as many disabled persons as possible, all international organizations working in Sierra Leone should be strongly encouraged to use their contacts to assist in any outreach effort designed to inform the disabled voter regarding the voter registration period and their voting rights.

h. It is very important to educate and sensitize the general public about the need to treat people with disabilities with respect and take steps to insure that all citizens and officials understand that such voters are an integral part of Sierra Leone society and possess every right to participate in the electoral process.

i. It is estimated that there are 28,000 or more blind or partially blind individuals in Sierra Leone with about 4,000 able to use Braille. There has never been any distribution of voting information in Braille, making it difficult for those in the blind community to obtain proper knowledge of voting and election information.

j. The constitution makes no mention of the rights of the disabled while the election law makes only a brief reference in a provision that permits a disabled person to request someone to help them mark their ballots (1995 Election Law, Section 18, subsection (i)). Privacy, registration and polling place accessibility issues are not addressed in the election law.

k. During the past six months, the National Electoral Commission has taken positive steps to recognize the needs of the disabled in voting. Their recently-produced five-year strategic plan makes clear mention of the need to recognize the special needs of handicapped and disabled persons as well as the need to hire disabled persons as employees and temporary workers.

l. Questions of public facility access and discrimination against the disabled are not public policy issues in Sierra Leone. It appears that no laws mandate accessibility to buildings or provide for other similar assistance for the disabled. Although a few private agencies and organizations attempt to train the disabled in useful work, there was no government policy or program directed particularly at the disabled. Given the high rate of general unemployment, work opportunities for the disabled are few.

IV. Recommendations for Action

With elections anticipated for December 2001 and voter registration due to commence in September, IFES makes a series of recommendations that are designed to facilitate the full participation of citizens with disabilities.

A. For the National Electoral Commission (NEC)

1. Establish advisory committee. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) should establish a seven to ten-person committee to advise the commission regarding the special needs of the disabled regarding the voting process. Such a committee should consist of the recognized and respected leaders of disability organizations and should look as such issues as voter education, voter registration, polling place location and administration, and include disabled persons as electoral officers. Working through its network, this committee may recommend to the NEC citizens with disabilities who could serve as registrars, returning officers, election assistants or observers at the regional and local level.

2. Add disabled representative to Consultative Committees. Include a member of the ad hoc advisory committee on the NEC-convened National Consultative Committee, which is a forum of registered political parties and civil society organizations which meets regularly with the NEC to discuss the electoral process. Representatives of disability organizations should also be included in the Regional Consultative Committees.

3. Designate liaison. NEC should designate a person at the national and local levels who can serve as the liaison with disability groups.

4. Recruit the disabled. Include people with disabilities as an integral part of the election process by having them serve as registrars, returning officers, and election assistants.

5. Outreach to disabled citizens. The NEC should initiate a strong voter education and public outreach program to government agencies, NGOs, groups, churches, mosques, international organizations and others involved with disabled persons to disseminate information regarding the registration period, the registration sites, polling place sites and other election-related information aimed at the general public. This would include the development and distribution of promotional materials, posters, radio and TV spots, cassette tapes (for blind voters) and the like. Such material should be produced in Braille, and also recognize the special needs of the deaf.

6. Work with Ministry of Health. NEC should coordinate with the Ministry of Health any effort to locate and disseminate information to disabled persons.

7. Training of election officials. There should be a special component of election official training that should focus exclusively on the special needs of disabled persons. Working with disability groups, NEC should solicit the assistance of disabled persons to serve as trainers and technical advisors at these sessions.

8. Election law changes. Recommend to the parliament new language to include in the election law that would encourage registration and polling place accessibility for disabled voters. Allow a provision in the law that would allow for registration forms and ballots boxes to be taken to home-bound disabled voters. Permit the use of Braille ballots and tactile ballot templates. Issue series of regulations and standard procedures to address the special needs of disabled voters.

9. Accessibility of registration sites and polling stations. The NEC should make every attempt possible to make all registration sites and polling stations as accessible to the disabled as possible. This would include locating such sites on ground floors of public places that are in a central location of the designated district. They should avoid locations which have stairs, uneven paths or roads leading to the polling station; and ballot boxes on high tables. If at all possible, registration sites and polling locations should be designated where people with disabilities regularly cluster. Disability groups would most likely have the best suggestions for such sites. If adequate registration sites are not available, then perhaps "mobile" teams could go to these cluster locations for the purpose of registering voters.

10. Inventory of registration sites and polling places. As the NEC designates registration sites and polling stations for the upcoming elections, each should be categorized as to their accessibility for handicapped persons so that a benchmark can be achieved for future reference.

11. Braille ballots. With an estimated 28,000 blind citizens in Sierra Leone and about 4,000 who can read Braille, at each polling station the NEC should have quantity of ballots available in Braille and a non-Braille or tactile ballot template. As an alternative, a pilot project could be undertaken to have such Braille ballots and templates at selected locations that contain clusters of blind voters. Such ballots or devices would give blind voters the privacy and secrecy they deserve.

12. Sensitizing the public. Working with the government of Sierra Leone, NEC should provide leadership to sensitize the general public regarding the need to treat people with disabilities with respect and recognize that they are an integral part of Sierra Leone society and possess every right to participate in the election.

13. Securing technical assistance. To help facilitate the implementation of these goals, the NEC should invite international organizations and technical experts to assist in the continued development of programs designed to provide political access to people with disabilities.

B. For Groups Representing or Assisting the Disabled

1. Promote registration and voting. Conduct seminars, symposiums, and workshops to promote the active participation of those with disabilities in the upcoming election. Such meetings should focus on voter registration, voting, and active political participation so that their issues can be part of the public policy discussion of the campaign.

2. Assist election officials. Cooperate with the NEC and other election officials to inform them of the special needs of the disabled. Provide list of people who may serve as registrars, returning officers, electoral assistants, or trainers. Suggest registration sites and polling locations.

3. Polling place observers. Disabled groups should set a short-term goal that at least 10% (540) of all registration sites and polling stations in Sierra Leone have a person with a disability as an observer. All disability groups should be encouraged to recruit people who can serve as observers. Such monitors should be properly trained in election procedures, particularly those relating to registration and voting by disabled persons. Such observers can be available to disabled voters to be legally designated to assist such voters, if so requested. These observers should be organized and complete a questionnaire which would focus on how the registration and polling station served the special needs of the disabled. Such survey would include questions of accessibility, how many and what types of disabled persons registered and voted at the polling place, and the attitude of election officials and the public towards the disabled participating in the election. In the longer-term and for elections beyond the immediate, disability groups should work towards a goal of having an observer in all 5400 registration and polling sites in Sierra Leone in all elections.

4. Party and candidate interaction. Disability groups should meet regularly with all political parties and candidates to encourage them to recognize the number and needs of people with disabilities and encourage public policy discussion of their issues. In addition, they should press party officials to place persons with disabilities on party lists (in high spots) so that they would have an opportunity to be elected. Disabled persons should be strongly encouraged to actively participate in the political process by forming or joining parties or becoming candidates themselves. They could also serve as party agents and campaigners.

5. Youth voting. A pilot project for youth should be developed which would educate young disabled persons, primarily those under 18 year old, about the political process. Patterned after "Kids Voting" program in other countries, such project could include a mock election whereby young people have their own mock registration period, propose candidates, debate public policy issues, and then conduct a mock election using ballots that are designed similar to regular ballots used in the parliamentary elections. This program will help these young people develop an awareness of the political process and promote self-esteem, something that many of these young people need due to the difficulties they face in every day life. The Sierra Leone Handicap Youth Development Association may be an excellent organization to implement this project.

C. Action Needed from the World Community

1. Funding and technical assistance. Sierra Leone is a country devastated by war and experiencing some of the most difficult economic conditions imaginable. In order to implement many of these recommendations effectively, adequate funding is a necessity. A proper voter education project would include printed materials, posters, media advertisements, and the like. Sierra Leone organizations representing the disabled operate with little or no funding and in locations that are sometime indescribable By providing sub-grants to local disability groups to focus exclusively on facilitating the participation of the disabled in the election, such groups would not have to take resources away from other priorities. In addition such funds and activities would serve to strengthen the organizations. In order to field observers, conduct workshops, symposiums, and other grassroots activities that will really reach the disabled, these groups will need some funding. The National Election Commission is not likely to have any money for Braille ballots. Technical advisors loaned or funded by international organizations could help facilitate and provide momentum to implement the recommendations outlined in this report.

2. Provide sample materials. IFES should provide the National Election Commission and disability groups with sample materials, laws, training programs, and other documents which focus specifically on the needs of the disabled in other countries.

While several of these recommendations involve administrative or technical issues that require little if any additional funding, there are some that will necessitate adequate resources, if they are to be effective. The myriad of problems and lack of political participation cited by people with disabilities in Sierra Leone are serious and demand immediate attention. Sources of funding from the world community should be sought to help empower the disabled of Sierra Leone, who have been described as the poorest of the poor, the ignored and forgotten, and people who's lives and livelihood have been changed forever by some of the cruelest acts ever seen by mankind.

Addendum A

List of Organizations and Leaders

Interviewed for this Report

Organizations and Leaders Interviewed for this Report
June 2001

Note: While this is a list of the leaders we met with during the week of June 16-22, during almost all of the meetings there were many members of the organizations present to participate in the discussions. As an example, at the Handicapped Youth Development meeting over 50 people were present; at the Aberdeen Camp we met with about 85 amputees. We estimate that a total of about 300 Sierra Leoneans, the vast majority people with disabilities, were part of the discussions we conducted on this project.

Name Organization
Walter O.F. Nicol Chief Electoral Commission/Chairman, National Electoral Commission
David S. Kai-Rogers Executive Secretary, National Electoral Commission
Joseph Buakei Aruna Electoral Commissioner-Eastern Region, National Electoral Commission
Mulai Pat Sheriff Publicity Officer, , National Electoral Commission
Kabba F. Bangura Sierra Leone Union of Polio Persons (President)
Kombah Pessima HANDICAP International (Program Director)
Kabbakeh Noah Sierra Leone Union of Disability Groups (President)
Sulmande Dirade Sierra Association for the Blind (President)
Sorie Sas Kamara Sierra Association for the Blind (north)
Marie Kamara Sierra Association for the Blind (west)
Idise Dumberya Sierra Association for the Blind (west)
Alex N. Sesay Sierra Association for the Blind (north)
Awed Diatriban Sierra Association for the Blind (Vice-President)
Mamura Tanner Sierra Association for the Blind (Treasurer)
Santigie Sesay Handicap Youth Development Association (President)
Emma Turay Handicap Youth Development Association (coordinator)
Patrick James Taylor Polio Victims Association
Ramatu Sesay Hearing Impaired Association of Sierra Leone
Abdul P.O. Kabia Disabled Persons Association (Clay Factory representative)
Gibril Sesay Aberdeen Amputee Camp (contact person)
Pa Mustapha Yaka IOGT Care Center for the Disabled
Emmaunuel Dos Santos Mercy Ships/New Steps (Project Manager)
Joseph Sandy Calaba Displaced Training Center; IOGT Camp (President)
Era Kargo Kissey Polio Women's Organization (Chair)
Abu Bakarr Kirrma Progressive Handicapped Development Assoc. Lumpa, Waterloo
Harouna Samura Vision Designers
Hawa Sombie Polio Women & Girls Development Association
Prince Cotay Cause Canada (Country Director)