Niger: Visually impaired voters lament absence of Braille at polling units

Visually impaired voters in Niger state have expressed concern that most of their members maybe disenfranchised in last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly polls in the state.

The Sarakin Makafi, Rabiu Abdullahi told Daily Trust that the Kofar Tanko Gajere Polling Unit that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reneged despite promising to provide Braille to ease the voting process there.

He said his members and himself have to queue like other able-bodied citizens to vote.

When Daily Trust visited the polling unit yesterday, Malam Abdullahi was on separate queue along with his members.

“We have been on the queue for more than hour but there is no sign that we will vote soon,” he noted.

According to him, having failed to provide the Braille, they had hope that the commission would adopt an alternative means of making the process easier for them.

“They are insisting we must provide a guide each who would assist us through the process but there is no way each of us would be able to do so because most of the guide are even illiterate and can hardly assist,” he explained.

However, an ad-hoc staff who spoke in confidence said INEC did not provide them with Braille materials for the election.

According to him, the decision of each of the blind voter providing a guide, was taken by the parties agents and not INEC, adding that what the commission did was to ensure a separate queue for them.

Also another visually inspired person, Mallam Abdulrauf Abdulrahman Auwal, said he was able to cast his vote at the Limawa quarters.

He however confirmed that Braille was not provided to assist the blind as promised by the electoral commission.

“I have to use my driver who also served as my guide to thumbprint for me, and I think others alike should also have their guide, because without guide you cannot trust the INEC officials or party agent to thumb print the actual party you desired to vote”, he said .

Malam  Auwal who is also the Special Assistant on people living with disabilities to the governor of Niger state however drew the attention of  the electoral commission to provide Braille and other facilities to assist people with disabilities during subsequent elections as promised.