Group Moves To Ensure Deaf Participation in Anambra Governorship Poll

TAF Africa, a disability inclusion advocacy group, says it is determined to ensurel that People With Disabilities (PWDs), who are eligible to vote in the Nov. 8 governorship election in Anambra State were not denied the opportunity.
Amb. Jake Epele, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa gave the assurance while speaking on the training of 25 Sign Language Interpreters (SLIs) yesterday in Awka.
Epele said that 25 SLIs had been trained in Anambra by the group with support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) Programme ahead of the exercise.
According to him, PWDs comprise a significant portion of the population and have the potential to sway election outcomes if their needs are adequately addressed and included in the process.
He said people with hearing impairment were among the most marginalised class of PWDs as they are not able to access and process information during electioneering.
Epele said the decision to train sign language interpreters with emphasis on the election was to assist deaf persons break the barriers in communication and enable them participate functionally.
“In Nigeria, Persons with Disability form about 16 per cent of the nation’s population, being an estimation of about 30 million people while the World Bank says 65 per cent of PWDs across the nation are of voting age.
“This set of people face several barriers in the society especially during elections where they are expected to vote and stand being voted for.
“The initiative is an innovative step towards ensuring that every deaf voter can participate fully and confidently in the democratic process,” he said.
Epele emphasised that training would help amplify the importance of accessible and inclusive elections and give visibility to the deaf community’s active participation in Nigeria’s democracy.
He commended the collaboration with the Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Nigeria (ASLIN), Anambra chapter for their cooperation.