More interpreters are needed in polling stations says Fiji Association of the Deaf office manager Tuliana Waibuta.
Speaking at the Introduction to Elections workshop for members of the Elections Disability Access Working Group (EDAWG) and Organisations for Person with Disabilities (OPDs) in Suva this week, Ms Waibuta said one of the major barriers in her years as a voter living with disability was communication.
Ms Waibuta, who has vision impairment, said “We need to have those in polling stations to at least learn some basic sign language.
“We’re always focusing on hearing people so when it comes to the polling stations people expect us to lip read.
“It is quite important to have helpful steps to assist people with disability to understand the steps and processes of voting inside the polling station.”
She hoped the workshop would address challenges faced by those living with disabilities by providing in-depth knowledge and guidance.
“Pictorial is very important for us as drawings as opposed to written materials because it addresses the diverse understanding of deaf people for both educated and uneducated individuals living in various parts of Fiji.
“It is important that we as persons with disability come together and engage with people before the election occurs because sometimes the jargons used are not understood by us.”
The two-day workshop was opened by Fijian Elections Office director Corporate Services Sanjeshwar Ram and USAID Pacific Islands deputy mission director Michael Glees.
