A disability insurance group, The All-Right Foundation, TAFAfrica, has announced plans to deploy 25 sign language interpreters to polling units in the August 15 gubernatorial election in Osun State to ensure voters with hearing impairments participate fully.
The Programme Manager of the foundation, Dr Andrew Adaji, disclosed this during the Able2Vote Community Outreach for Persons with Disabilities in the Ikirun zone of the state on Wednesday.
Adaji said the initiative is part of the group’s Continuous Voters Education aimed at encouraging Persons with Disabilities to come out and vote.
“This is our Continuous Voters Education, and we are here to call to talk with Persons with Disabilities on the need for them to come out during the election. They have the right to vote, and they should come out and vote,” he said.
He added that the foundation has been engaging the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to make polling units accessible for PWDs.
According to him, INEC has made efforts in that regard, but more still needs to be done.
“We have also been engaging INEC to make polling units accessible for Persons with Disabilities. INEC has been doing that, and we expect them to do more. We are also supporting INEC with sign language interpreters,” Adaji stated.
He noted that the foundation provided sign language interpreters during elections in Anambra and Ekiti states and would replicate the same in Osun.
“We will be deploying 25 sign language interpreters to polling units where we have the deaf voters,” he said.
Adaji said one of the major challenges raised by PWDs during the sensitisation was the accessibility of polling units, especially for persons on wheelchairs.
“Those on wheelchairs said in previous elections, where they put the ballot boxes is higher,” he explained, adding that the foundation will engage the Resident Electoral Commissioner on the issue to ensure it is addressed.
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The PWDs Coordinator for Ikirun Zone, Prince Adebare Olaosebikan, in his remarks, assured the foundation of his members’ readiness to participate in the election.
“I appreciate TAFAfrica for bringing this opportunity to our members. We now have more knowledge about some things which we didn’t know before.
“I want to assure TAFAfrica that our members will fully participate in the coming election coming up on August 15. We will go out and vote for who we want in Osun,” Olaosebikan said.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
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