Workshop for people with disabilities. (-)

People with disabilities in South Sudan may face a lot of challenges when trying to participate in political activities including the upcoming general elections, an activist said.

Mawut Luis Alier, the Chairperson of South Sudan Association of the Visually Impaired, made the remarks on Friday during a one-day workshop for the organization’s members on the upcoming election process.

The workshop was intended to sensitize people with special needs about how they can effectively participate in the elections and exercise their voting rights.

Mr. Luis said the workshop also discussed challenges facing those with visual or hearing impairment when it comes to political involvement.

“Many people with disabilities might face barriers in terms of participation in the various political processes including the constitution review the constitution-making process and the election process,” he said.

“We saw several barriers including the fact that when the messages are communicated in a manner that is not accessible to people with hearing impairment, they are more likely not to understand what people are communicating.”

“Therefore, they may not be entitled to express their opinions on most parties.”

He narrated that the setbacks range from communication to accessibility of venues where political rallies and other activities are conducted.

According to him, this makes it hard for people with disabilities to have opinions on political issues and the constitutional making process, leaving their voice unheard.

“We also saw that there are people with physical disabilities who might not be able to access the venues where such forums are conducted and therefore, they are most likely not to be part of those processes.”