–Challenge GECOM to put systems in place by March 2020

THE Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD), on Tuesday, submitted a list of recommendations to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to improve the voting experience of disabled persons.

Disability rights activist, Ganesh Singh, told Guyana Chronicle on Monday that the body has come up with about eight recommendations.
GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, last week, said time may be a factor in considering some of the recommendations, as they would involve policies that may need to be changed. Furthermore, certain technicalities may hinder the granting of some of the requests.

But Singh said disabled persons are confident that GECOM would be able to meet some of the recommendations in time for the March elections.
Disabled persons in Guyana have, for years, been asking for more inclusivity in the processes that govern the general and regional elections, and the GCOPD, last week, held a one-day conference to draft a voter education plan for them.

GCOPD Chairman, Cecil Morris, had said that the differently-abled community has to fight each time there are elections in the country to have their say.
US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, who was present at the event, offered that there are specific measures that can make voting more accessible for the differently-abled, such as providing options for the blind and visually impaired to vote privately and independently, outlining special instructions for those who are deaf; constructing ramps, slip resistant surfaces and suchlike things.

In Guyana, the GCOPD observed that the March 2020 elections will determine the future of Guyanese in a new oil economy, and said it is important to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, especially for marginalised groups.
Recognising this, the GCOPD believes it is important to encourage maximum participation of the differently-abled community in the electoral process through voter education which specifically responds to their needs.

“Over the years, persons with disabilities (PWDs) have been marginalised and forced to live on the fringes of society with limited opportunities for living independent, productive lives. Recognising the circumstances of this marginalised population, the Government of Guyana signed and ratified the UNCRPD. The Guyana Government also made one step further by initiating and implementing a legal framework for the protection and promotion of the rights of PWDs in Guyana by way of the Guyana PWD Act 2010,” GCOPD informed.

However, the body said these legal instruments have not been very effective in mitigating the instances of both overt and covert discrimination and the accompanying impacts, which continue to plague disabled persons.

“Within this context, it is important to continue creating opportunities for empowerment for PWDs in Guyana. Currently, most important among these opportunities is citizen participation in the 2020 General and Regional Elections,” GCOPD said.