THE WAY TO MAKE SURE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL

THE WAY TO MAKE SURE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL

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, ….

(UN CRPD, 2006)

Political rights seems to be the scary word even when it was heard within “the most safeties’ “ communities so called Persons with Disability, however when the shifting paradigm from charity to rights based approach arose and enlighten persons with disability to the new strategy on bringing them into the better life, they have to be brave to enter this environment, and whether it was considered or not, persons with disabilities movements show their desire on it through their slogans since eighties among others ‘ A voice of our own’ and  ‘Nothing about us without us’, the slogan picturing their awareness on their strength as a Human being and need to be Involved, participated, heard, counted and being represented.

In many democratic countries the issues on electoral access for persons with disability had already been heard since eighties, although in some developing countries at the implementation level their rights mostly manipulated due to unclearly technical guidance, such as not trusted accompanying persons, the confidentiality unsecured, mentally disability is the same as insane,  or more to the civil rights violation such as unregistered citizen with disabilities.

Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental,

intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may

hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others

(UN CRPD – 2006).

Countries in South East Asia such as Indonesia had already starting to fulfill the political rights of persons with disability since 2000 beginning at the National election of 2004, the disabled people organizations find out that persons with disability should be able to enter bargaining positions considering the population of them is 7% - 10% according to WHO, The Philippines and Thailand follow in effort on fighting the electoral access for persons with disabilities.

The Rights to elect and to be elected for persons with disabilities clearly been seen on article 29 of UN CRPD, and the effort to bring it into the applicable level such as at regional level ASEAN are in a progress of to be committed in ASEAN declaration on the enhancement of the role and participation of persons with disability in ASEAN community content.

ASEAN General Election Network for Disability Access (AGENDA) is a new developing strategy that initiated by IFES the International CSO on Electoral system, PPCI and PPUA as DPOs that already starting to fights in electoral access issue for more than ten years, and Independent Monitoring  body name JPPR, in the way to make sure the equal rights and opportunity for all including persons with disability in using their political rights to be voiced and heard .