CEC RK DISCUSSES MEASURES TO ENSURE THE ELECTORAL 

RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Today, the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan held a meeting of the Working Group on Ensuring the Electoral Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The meeting focused on practical issues related to creating conditions for the full exercise of electoral rights - from access to pre-election information to casting a ballot. 

More than 100 people took part in the meeting, including members of the Working Group, representatives of the Central and territorial election commissions, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, public associations of persons with disabilities, political parties, as well as election observation missions from the OSCE/ODIHR and the CIS.

The event was also attended by experts who made a significant contribution to developing a high-quality, user-friendly voting template with Braille lettering: Kenzhegul Seitjan, a member of the Working Group and Adviser to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the Rights of Socially Vulnerable Groups; Ziyat Abdykaimov, an Assistive Technology and Information Accessibility Expert at Nazarbayev University, a member of the Coordination Council on Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities, and a member of the ODIHR Advisory Council on Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities; and Nazigul Kassymbekova, a Braille specialist at the Specialized Library for Blind and Visually Impaired Citizens of Astana. 

The meeting presented the results of monitoring the readiness of polling stations for the election of deputies of the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The assessments were conducted by members of the Working Group together with territorial election commissions and public associations. The main monitoring criteria included the accessibility of polling stations and election-related information, the availability of conditions for independent mobility and voting, as well as the provision of assistive devices and technologies.

“During the monitoring, particular attention was paid to the availability of ramps, handrails, assistance call buttons, designated parking spaces, accessible navigation, tactile and raised indicators, as well as spacious voting booths for voters who use wheelchairs. The availability of special information corners and assistive devices for persons with disabilities was also assessed, including materials in accessible formats, Braille templates, audio materials, headphones, magnifying glasses, and software solutions for blind and visually impaired voters. This comprehensive approach makes it possible to assess not only the physical accessibility of a polling station, but also the ability to independently obtain information and participate in voting,” - noted Zhanyl Shalabayeva, a representative of the Umіt Public Foundation for the Support of Deaf Persons with Disabilities.

Recommendations for addressing the identified shortcomings have been prepared for each polling station surveyed across all regions. Local executive bodies confirmed their readiness to complete the necessary work before election day.

Niyaz Sunditaliyev, Chairman of the Qamqor Plus Public Association, emphasized that the direct involvement of representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities plays an important role in this work.

“Today, the necessary conditions are being created to enable persons with disabilities to participate independently in voting, including through the use of interactive tools. Representatives of NGOs are actively involved in monitoring the readiness of polling stations. Importantly, this is not about providing assistance, but about ensuring equal rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities to exercise their electoral rights on an equal basis with other citizens,” - Niyaz Sunditaliyev emphasized.

Polling stations have also put in place measures to support voters with disabilities on election day, including the involvement of sign language interpreters, the operation of the “Invataxi” service, and assistance from trained volunteers.

The monitoring does not end here. Working groups in the capital, regions, and cities of republican significance will continue to monitor the situation and oversee the elimination of identified shortcomings in cooperation with territorial election commissions and local executive bodies.

Participants of the meeting also discussed the capabilities of the Interactive Accessibility Map available on the inva.gov.kz website. The map provides information about polling stations and their accessibility for persons with disabilities. It allows voters to check the accessibility of their polling station based on their place of registration, review the available conditions in advance, and plan their voting. Victoria Shegai, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan, presented information on the operation of the map and how to use it.

CEC member Lyazzat Suyindik spoke about the progress in preparing a Braille template for the ballot paper.

Before mass production, the template samples underwent a multi-stage review involving specialists in assistive technologies and Braille. The assessment covered the template’s compliance with the content of the ballot, the placement of raised-dot markings, and its practical usability. All comments and suggestions were taken into account when finalizing the design.

An additional option for independently reviewing the contents of the ballot is its audio version, available on computers in designated information corners for persons with disabilities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, representatives of the Zhambyl and Pavlodar regions shared their experience in implementing new approaches to accessible voting for persons with disabilities. It was noted that solutions tested at training polling stations are gradually being introduced into the practice of territorial election commissions. This involves not only equipping polling stations with modern assistive technologies, but also training commission members, including through a specialized video course and practical training.

The participants discussed further steps to develop an accessible electoral environment and exchanged proposals to improve cooperation among election commissions, government bodies, public associations of persons with disabilities, and political parties.

The CEC emphasized that creating equal opportunities for persons with disabilities to exercise their electoral rights remains one of its key priorities and is subject to ongoing monitoring.