Accessibility survey of all 2.000 polling stations across Armenia, development of recommendations for the Government, and Central Electoral Commission in order to make the electoral processes accessible… These are just some of activities which will be implemented within the framework of the “Political Accessibility and Inclusion” Project.
The “Political Accessibility and Inclusion” project is the next component of the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funded SEPPA (“Strengthening Electoral Processes and Political Accountability in Armenia”) project, implemented by IFES Armenia (International Foundation for Electoral Systems). Within the framework of the project, AGATE will be conducting the comprehensive survey of the polling station accessibility across Armenia and supporting the Central Electoral Commission in its policy awareness program, in line with the Citizen Observer groups’ and OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. The project is aimed at ensuring that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on equal basis with others, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected.
The project was launched on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the 3rd of December 2019.
Deborah Grieser, USAID Armenia Mission Director emphasized the importance of ensuring access to elector processes and touched upon the statistics. ‘’I was surprised to know that 71% of polling stations were not intended for persons with disabilities during the snap parliamentary elections in 2018’’, she mentioned.
‘’Agate’’ NGO founder and president Karine Grigoryan highlighted the importance of political participation of persons with disabilities. She mentioned that within the framework of the project 60 persons with and without disabilities will be recruited and they will implement the survey of accessibility of polling stations. ‘’I don’t want us to just talk about issues surrounding persons with disabilities. I would like us to suggest practical steps to address them. One of these steps is the “Political Accessibility and Inclusion” project’’.
Talking about the goals of the project Jérôme Leyraud, Director of IFES Armenia mentioned, “Within the framework of the “Political Accessibility Inclusion”, “Agate” NGO and RA CEC will also aim to improve the level of awareness in all election-related institutions”.
Within the framework of the Project, Agate will closely cooperate with CEC. Chairman RA CEC Tigran Mukuchyan mentioned that positive cooperation will guarantee success of the new project.
Project Manager Gayane Grigoryan announced that as a result, a package of recommendations will be developed and sent to the state and other stakeholders. “During the “Political Accessibility and Inclusion project” we will have the opportunity to change the public mindset through increasing education and awareness of rights and issues of persons with disabilities”.