Content of the article.
Taking into account that 10.4% of Peru’s population has some type of disability, the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) has maintained ongoing coordination with representatives of the National Council for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (CONADIS) in order to adopt measures to guarantee accessibility in the elections to be held on April 11.
One of the measures adopted has been the installation of 13,563 special polling tables, of which 13,425 will be located in Peru and the remaining 138 abroad. These tables will be located near entrances and on the first floors of polling places, with the appropriate signage. The measure seeks to benefit approximately 356,007 citizens with disabilities. In addition, 123,000 Braille templates will be available and may be requested from polling-table coordinators at each voting location.
The virtual platform established for choosing a polling location now also includes an option for voters to indicate any disability they may have. The aim is to provide priority assistance, supported by multiple training workshops delivered to staff at the 94 decentralized offices throughout the country.
It is also important to note that in Urubamba more than 40 persons with hearing disabilities received sign-language training from ONPE with the collaboration of Alejandro López Flores, who is Deaf. Topics included the importance of voting, COVID-19 prevention during the electoral process, how to cast a valid vote, staggered voting schedules according to the last digit of the national identity document (DNI), and related matters. The intention is to replicate this type of training in different provinces throughout the country in the coming weeks.
Sources:
