In an effort aimed at fostering inclusive democracy, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), have developed a Voter’s Guide, now adopted by the National Election Management Agency (ANGE). Designed to equip voters with comprehensive knowledge of the electoral process, this guide has become a cornerstone of the country’s voter education efforts nationwide. While a vision of equality lies at the heart of the Voter’s Guide initiative, a significant segment of society – people with visual impairments – still face numerous barriers to full inclusion in this democratic exercise.
In order to better include the visually impaired, EISA has translated the guide into Braille, ensuring that the guide is more accessible. This step represents a major stride towards inclusive electoral participation.
The idea to translate the Voter’s Guide into Braille originated with Djimet Nangtour, a gender and social inclusion analyst within EISA electoral observation core team. Reflecting on the inception of the Braille translation initiative; EISA Chad’s country representative reports:
“While discussing the guide’s content with Djimet, he suddenly asked me:
‘You say you’ve used colors – blue, yellow, and red – to distinguish the ballot boxes and papers. It’s to make voting easier, right?’
I nodded, proud of the color-coding idea.
But then, unfazed, he continued:
‘And those who can’t see colors, did you think about them?’
I was stunned into silence. My pride evaporated on the spot.”
‘You’ve used colors – blue, yellow, and red – to distinguish the ballot boxes and papers. And those who can’t see colors, did you think about them?’ – M. Djimet Nangtour, Visually impaired
The inclusion of visually impaired citizens has long been a challenge. By bridging barriers to democratic participation through the provision of tools such as the Braille Voter’s Guide, EISA is championing a vision of inclusion where every voter can exercise their rights on an equal footing.
The right to vote is fundamental to democracy as it guarantees the voice of every citizen is heard. However, the full realization of this right requires proactive measures to remove barriers and empower all members of society, including the visually impaired, to participate autonomously and confidentially in elections.
The Braille Voter’s Guide is more than just a document. It is a transformative tool for inclusion. Designed to empower visually impaired civic educators, it equips them to educate visually impaired voters about their constitutional rights and guide them through the voting process.
This innovation was put to the test during EISA’s 12 December 2024 focus group, where visually impaired students reviewed the Braille guide and engaged in meaningful discussions about its contents.
The focus group shed light on the persistent challenges faced by visually impaired voters. Participants emphasized the urgent need to deploy additional resources for visually impaired voters in Chad’s provinces. They also raised critical concerns about the voting process, particularly the lack of tactile identification on ballot papers, which prevents visually impaired voters from casting their ballots independently. While legal provisions exist to allow assistance in polling stations, such measures often compromise voter autonomy and confidentiality – key pillars of democratic integrity. “How can I be sure that the person assisting me is voting for the candidate I want?” asked one of the participants. These discussions underscore the ongoing need for inclusive electoral reforms to ensure every citizen can participate autonomously and with dignity.
As Chad moves forward with its legislative, provincial, and municipal elections, initiatives like these reaffirm the principle that democracy is most vibrant when it includes everyone. The commitment to inclusivity reflects a broader goal of ensuring that no citizen is left behind in the democratic process. Making this guide accessible aims to move Chad closer to a more inclusive electoral process, where every voice is not only heard but respected in its uniqueness.
This blog post was made possible thanks to financial support from the European Union under grant agreement No. NDICI AFRICA/2022/435-927. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EU.
