Participation in political and public life
States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shall undertake to:
(a) Ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, inter alia, by:
(b) Promote actively an environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs, without discrimination and on an equal basis with others, and encourage their participation in public affairs, including:
Obligations
This article applies traditional political rights to persons with disability on an equal basis with others. In order to realise these rights, State Parties must ensure that persons with disability can effectively and fully participate in political and public life either directly or through freely chosen representatives without discrimination. Persons with disability must be able to effectively hold office and perform all public functions at all levels of government. To facilitate this, State Parties must ensure their access to assistive and new technologies where required. Voting must be available to persons with disability by secret ballot, be free from intimidation, and voting procedures, facilities and materials must be accessible and easy to understand. Persons with disability who require assistance to vote must be permitted to obtain such assistance from a person of their choice. State Parties must also actively promote an environment in which persons with disability can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs. This includes an obligation to encourage the participation of persons with disability in non-government organisations and associations concerned with public and political life. It also includes the obligation to encourage the formation and participation of persons with disability in representative organisations at the international, national, regional and local levels.
Indicators
• Persons with disability effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
• Voting procedures, facilities and materials are accessible to persons with disability.
• Persons with disability are able to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums.
• Persons with disability are able to vote in elections and public referendums without intimidation.
• Persons with disability are able to stand for election, to effectively hold office, and perform all public functions at all levels of government.
• Persons with disability have access to a personal assistant of their choice to assist in voting.
• Persons with disability can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs on an equal basis with others without discrimination.
• Participation of persons with disability in public affairs is encouraged.
• Persons with disability are encouraged to participate in non-governmental organisations and associations concerned with public and political life, and in the activities and administration of political parties.
• Persons with disability are encouraged to form and join organisations of persons with disability to represent them at the international, national, regional and local levels.
Example
The right to participation in political and public life will be particularly relevant to people who through their work are involved in:
• Working with clients who are incarcerated, who have disabilities or who do not speak English
• Working as part of community organisations who lobby government or otherwise seek to take part in the political or policy-making process of government