Low turnout reported among people with disabilities

By Laila Azzeh

AMMAN - Tuesday's elections saw a "low" turnout of people with disabilities (PWD), despite the government's provision of accessible polling stations and other facilities for the disabled.

In spite of spending several hours outside a number of polling stations in Amman, The Jordan Times was unable to track down a single disabled voter.

"Around two to three people with disabilities came to vote since the morning," noted an election worker, who asked not to be named, adding however that he expected more PWD to head to the polls later in the day.

Yara Ardah, a sign language interpreter, agreed, noting that she had been waiting to assist hearing-impaired voters since morning, but that as of 12:00 noon, "no one had shown up".

Mohannad Azzeh, a PWD rights activist and one of the founders of Takafu, a campaign to facilitate the voting process for the disabled, highlighted that the overall turnout among PWD in the Kingdom was "weak", but added that areas outside the capital saw more PWD cast their votes.

"The reasons behind the weak turnout among the disabled also apply to other citizens, whether linked to their frustration or lack of trust," he told The Jordan Times over the phone yesterday, underlining that disabled Jordanians still feel that they are "marginalized".

He noted that some polling stations were "highly" prepared for PWD, such as in Balqa, Sweileh and Ghor Safi.

"Members of Takafu in these areas noted excellent preparations to ensure the accessibility of this segment of society. We also noticed that polling centers in these areas listened to our demands by placing the ballot boxes at suitable heights for those in wheelchairs," Azzeh indicated.

On the other hand, he said, many polling stations lacked sign language interpreters, while others held the voting on an upstairs floor, forcing PWD to return home or choose another center.

"But I have to say that the cooperation of the staff with the disabled was phenomenal in most parts of the country," the activist remarked.

Rami Zaloum, a radio presenter whose disability prevents him from climbing stairs, said he was unable to use a polling station near his house because the ballot boxes were located on the third storey.

"I had to look for another center that is far away from home. Even the one I voted in was not that equipped for movement-impaired people," the 27-year-old Amman resident added, noting that he voted for a candidate who had promised to activate the Law for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

But for Mohammad Tawalbeh, a Bani Kenanah District resident, the process went smoothly, despite what he called a "lack of understanding of the interior ministry's instructions regarding the disabled" on the part of the police.

"I had to convince the security personnel that it is my right to bring an escort to fill out my ballot for me," the 40-year-old teacher and Takafu member told The Jordan Times over the phone.

"One of the policemen even told me he could write for me but I refused," added Tawalbeh, who is visually impaired, indicating that he only voted to experience what his disabled peers go through when they practice their right to vote.

On the other hand, Aida Shishani, a retiree from the labor ministry, said she was "surprised" at how well organized everything was for the disabled.

"I was able to get into the polling station and vote very easily and in complete discretion," the Sweileh resident, who has impaired mobility, told The Jordan Times.

The Ministry of Interior equipped 230 polling centers to receive people with disabilities, while some 100 people were trained by the National Center for Human Rights to monitor these centers and to follow up with voters with disabilities if they encounter any obstacles while voting.

The National Agenda estimates put the number of PWD in Jordan at around 200,000-300,000, or 4-5 per cent of the population; UNESCO’s 2009 estimates said that the number falls somewhere between 200,000-500,000.

10 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=31732.