Youth in Action for Disability Inclusion has taken note of the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s release of voter registration statistics for persons with disabilities. While transparency is welcome, the figures are unacceptable and demand urgent redress.
Out of an estimated two million Zambians with disabilities, only 20,000 are registered as voters with disabilities. A one percent registration rate is not merely a gap, it is a failure of inclusion.
This crisis stems from the ECZ’s continued neglect of fundamental accessibility requirements: election materials remain unavailable in accessible formats, polling procedures fail to accommodate voters with physical disabilities, and registration officers lack even basic sign language competence.
The ECZ has a constitutional and moral duty to ensure every eligible citizen can vote. Continued inaction amounts to the systematic disenfranchisement of persons with disabilities.
We call on the ECZ to urgently implement concrete measures to ensure full, accessible participation for all persons with disabilities ahead of the next election.
We demand that the Electoral Commission of Zambia immediately publish a time-bound action plan to rectify these failures. This must include accessible voter education, mandatory disability training for all electoral staff, and full compliance with accessibility standards at all registration and polling centers.
Inclusion in democracy cannot be optional. We can do better as a nation. The time for statements has passed. We expect actions!
Issued by,Ian Banda.
Director,Youth in Action for Disability Inclusion Lusaka, Zambia.
#LeaveNoOneBehind!
#inclusionforall!