{"id":78557,"date":"2024-07-10T16:18:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T16:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec"},"modified":"2024-07-10T16:42:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T16:42:05","slug":"braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec","title":{"rendered":"Braille ballot papers, sign language interpreters ready for election day \u2013 NEC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has introduced measures \u2013 including braille ballot papers \u2013 to guarantee persons with disabilities\u2019 full participation in the electoral process as the country readies for the July 14 \u2013 16 presidential and parliamentary elections.<\/p>\n

Moise Bukasa, the NEC communications officer, told The New Times that effort was made to make sure the election process is smooth and inclusive for everyone.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cTo support voters who are visually impaired, for example, NEC prepared braille ballot papers and these will be available for people who can read braille, allowing them to cast their votes independently and confidentially.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor those who do not know how to use braille, NEC will permit them to bring a child aged 14 to 18 to assist them in voting. This ensures that the person’s choices are respected without the influence of someone who might be easily influenced by their own voting preferences, and whose opinions could influence the voter\u2019s choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donatille Kanimba, the Executive Director of the Rwanda National Union of the Blind (RNUB), told The New Times that when braille ballot papers were first introduced, in the 2018 elections, they were not available at all polling stations.<\/p>\n

This time however, Kanimba is happy that they will be at every polling station.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cPreviously, visually impaired people were allowed to come with children to assist them with voting as the only option. However, children can be easily manipulated by other people, potentially altering the vote or revealing the voter’s choice. It is good to have another option.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe secrecy of our votes is very essential for a fair election. The involvement of someone else in our voting process meant there was no full secrecy. Now, visually impaired voters will be guided by volunteers to only locate the braille on the ballot papers, allowing them to cast their votes secretly, just like any other person. This is a significant improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n

In collaboration with local authorities, NEC also ensured that all polling stations and rooms are easily accessible to people with physical disabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo polling room is in a high-rise building if there is no easy access for persons with disabilities,\u201d Bukasa explained.<\/p>\n

To assist voters with hearing impairments, he noted, NEC has also made arrangements to have sign language interpreters at all campaign events and polling stations. The sign language interpreters at campaign rallies ensure that people with hearing-impairment can understand the candidates’ manifestos and make informed decisions. Such interpreters will be available throughout the election process, providing guidance and support as needed.<\/p>\n

In addition to braille ballot papers and sign language interpreters, volunteers will be on hand to assist visually impaired voters through the entire polling process<\/p>\n

From entering the polling room to casting their votes, the volunteers will ensure that all voters can navigate the process smoothly and confidently.<\/p>\n

“These all-inclusive measures underscore Rwanda\u2019s commitment to inclusive elections, ensuring that every citizen, regardless of disability, can exercise their right to vote. With these efforts, NEC aims to foster a fair and equitable electoral process,\u201d Bukasa said.<\/p>\n

The 13 candidates vying for one seat to represent persons with disabilities in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, promised to advocate for inclusivity as well as having an extra seat in parliament so that they can be represented by a man and a woman.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda Follow Africa-Press<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has introduced measures \u2013 including braille ballot papers \u2013 to guarantee persons with disabilities\u2019 full participation in the electoral process as the country readies for the July 14 \u2013 16 presidential and parliamentary elections. Moise Bukasa, the NEC communications officer, told The New Times that effort was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":78556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[6212,1090,667,4058,758],"class_list":["post-78557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-braille-ballot-papers","tag-elections","tag-nec","tag-people-with-disabilities","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nBraille ballot papers, sign language interpreters ready for election day \u2013 NEC - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has introduced measures \u2013 including braille ballot papers \u2013 to guarantee persons ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Braille ballot papers, sign language interpreters ready for election day \u2013 NEC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has introduced measures \u2013 including braille ballot papers \u2013 to guarantee persons ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-10T16:18:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-10T16:42:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2024\/07\/sm_1720617080.43298.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"996\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"336\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Braille ballot papers, sign language interpreters ready for election day \u2013 NEC\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-10T16:18:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-10T16:42:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec\"},\"wordCount\":571,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2024\/07\/sm_1720617080.43298.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Braille ballot papers\",\"Elections\",\"NEC\",\"People with disabilities\",\"Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/braille-ballot-papers-sign-language-interpreters-ready-for-election-day-nec\",\"name\":\"Braille ballot papers, sign language interpreters ready for election day \u2013 NEC - 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