In 2015, the CRPD Committee reviewed the implementation of the CRPD by the EU for the first time. It adopted specific recommendations in relation to political participation of persons with disabilities.
Among these recommendations, the Committee stressed the need to:
- Withdraw laws that restrict the right to vote and stand for elections of persons with disabilities.
- Restore the voting rights of all persons with disabilities affected by voting restrictions.
- Ensure that all electoral procedures, facilities, and materials are accessible for all persons with disabilities, ensuring the right of persons with disabilities to a secret ballot, and through the use of communication in sign language, Braille, and easy-to-read format.
- Ensure that mechanisms put in place to facilitate voting assistance are developed in close consultation with organisations of persons with disabilities to suit their needs.
- Provide support and facilitation services to ensure all persons with disabilities can exercise their right to vote, including persons with intellectual disabilities and/or psychosocial disabilities.
- Collect reliable and disaggregated statistics and data on the political participation of persons with disabilities as voters and as candidates of elections.
Read in EDF’s full overview of the recommendations to the EU Member States.
Download the complete document below:
Article 29 – CRPD recommendations to EU Member States (word document)
Article 29 – CRPD recommendations to EU Member States (pdf document)