Disability is not Inability

:from page 4
:: Presentation by: Ms. Edah Maina – CEO, Kenya Society for the Mental Handicapped (KSMH).

This empowerment of human readers is tailored to enable them provide PWIDs with the right supported decision making in an electoral process.

Voter’s materials

Acquisition of identity and voter Cards by PWIDs.

- Sensitize families on the need to have human-reader’s support for individual adults with intellectual disabilities to enable them acquire identity and voters cards.

- Empower the registrar of Persons and the Electoral Commission to facilitate supported acquisition of identity and Voter cards by PWIDs.

Address challenges experienced in acquisition of ID and Voters Cards by PWIDs, eg

i) Proof of chronological age – questions on how and why an 18 year old person, is unable to write his/her names, unable to know the date of birth, and is unable to follow simple procedures of completing a form.

ii) Local authority recommendations – not known to be a member of his/her immediate community, due to minority having been born at home and confined to their houses and institutions.

iii) School leaving certificates – denial of official school leaving certificates due to inability to sit for any formal exam in the 734 special school/unit. The school leaving certificate is used to enhance proof of one’s citizens.

iv) Human readers support – required to present proof of intellectual disability to qualify for supported decision making/consent by a human reader.

- Sensitize and educate families on the difference it can make to influence inclusive policies that are responsive to special needs of PWIDs in Kenya.

- Ensure that through the support of the human reader, PWIDs are properly sensitized and educated on the voting procedures, facilities and materials made appropriate, accessible and easy to understand.

:: Continued page 6.

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