29 Aug 2013

Government departments must cater for the visually impaired in documenting their information.

A visually impaired Francistown woman, Ms Thokolwane Samodimo said in an interview that government programmes, policies, including the DailyNews should be availed in Braille. Ms Samodimo lamented that the visually impaired were missing a lot of essential information because it was not availed in a manner friendly to them.

Nonetheless, Ms Samodimo, a teacher at Phatogo Primary School, commended the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for ensuring that everybody was part of the democracy process by catering for the visually impaired. The woman, who is literate in braille, explained that for the first time in 2009, she was able to vote because the IEC had come up with a voters’ roll template that was user friendly to the visually impaired.

She said the voters’ roll template, though it was not in braille, was made in such a way that after being explained, a visually impaired person could easily mark their party of choice. “That was a commendable initiative because not every visually impaired person is acquainted with braille,” said Ms Samodimo.

The IEC principal public relations officer, Mr Osupile Maroba said since the 2009 general elections, a template that catered for the visually impaired was introduced. He explained that the ballot paper was designed in such a way that there was a hole next to each political party that was contesting the general elections in a specific area.

Mr Maroba said IEC had been in consultations with the visually impaired and other stakeholders. As a result, he said the commission will, in the next general elections, implement some of the recommendations as a way to make the ballot paper more convenient for the visually impaired. ENDS