Polling stations accessibility survey conducted in NA-4

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Alliance for Inclusive Elections (PAIE), a group of civil society organisations mainly comprising disabled persons organisations, has claimed that most of NA-4 polling stations do not meet the essential accessibility criteria, implying problems for persons with disabilities, elderly and sick in October 26 by-election in Peshawar.

Sharing details with the media, Amer Ejaz, Executive Director at Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) said that 42 percent polling stations didn't have a firm and obstacle-free passage leading to the building.

"The 75 percent buildings don't provide a level access to the entrance to the polling station. Moreover, to worsen the situation, 93 percent of the polling stations not having level access also do not possess a ramp to facilitate wheelchair users in entering the polling station," he said. The executive director said that in 12 percent cases protruding objects outside the polling stations cause obstacle to the way.

Although 98 percent of the entrance gates are far wide enough to clear minimum standard of 32 inch, but on the by-election day other smaller gates are likely to remain open instead of these larger gates. "Those smaller gates possess multiple problems; first the lesser opening width than minimum standard of 32", second the iron bar at lower edge of the metal gates that is always thicker than maximum door threshold standard of 6mm, third the lower edge bar of the gates is generally two to three inches higher than ground causing another obstacle," he said while quoting from the report.

In this situation, he said, if the Election Commission of Pakistan staff didn't open large gates for persons with disabilities, then 100 percent polling stations would automatically become inaccessible for them.

The survey revealed that the interior building and outer entrance of 85 percent polling stations were not on same level and no ramps or other facilities exist to facilitate the movement of disabled persons.

It said that even if the persons with disabilities and elderly cross the main gate of the building, 85 percent polling station buildings will still pose challenge to them and they will have to cross stairs to reach the polling area.

"Another obstruction for the persons with reduced visibility can be poor lighting. Availability of lighting at the entrance becomes more important when the election laws require presiding officer to display the results on entrance of the polling station after the counting process," it was stated, adding that only 17.5 percent of the polling stations possess exterior lighting arrangement, leaving 82.5 percent sampled polling station entrance unlit at the time of low visibility.

The report said that 95 percent of the sampled polling stations did not meet all the essential accessibility criteria but 87 percent of these inaccessible polling stations could be easily modified and made completely accessible.

"This conversion would only require minute changes like construction of small ramps at entrance gate and in inner building, leveling of pathway in front of polling stations, removal of protruding objects from pathway and interior building, and finally by instructing the security staff to allow the persons with disabilities to pass through larger gate," suggested in the report.

The PAIE members hoped that ECP would respond to the urgent need and get these minor changes done to make all polling stations accessible before the by-election in NA-4.