Youth with Disabilities Training – Youth with disabilities are not actively involved in DPOs or participation in the political lives of their communities. In order to help these youth develop skills to become future leaders, IFES and La Red carried out a twoday leadership skills building training targeting 16 emergent DPO members, from provinces around the country. This was the first time participants were exposed to a training that enabled them to develop leadership and communications skills. As a result of this training, eight outstanding participants received additional coaching and practical training on communication techniques, so that they could deliver a talk in their community about rights of persons with disabilities and explain the new national disability law. Sharing Lessons Learned – La Red produced a booklet54 on lessons learned during their interactions with the government and civil society stakeholders. They have shared this product with DPOs and EMBs across the region. At the end of the training, JCE officials present their action plan on how they will make the electoral process more accessible in their region of the country. Challenges and Lessons Learned The disability community was divided in two ways: between groups representing different types of disabilities and between civil society and the National Council on Disability. Bringing the disability community together to draft the political platform helped unify the community around issues important to them all and forced these issues onto the political agenda of the government. As a result, the DPO community witnessed the passing of a national disability law as well as the introduction of a “Social Protection of Disabled Persons” program, which includes specific measures to improve the living and social conditions of persons with disabilities. •• There were a limited number of qualified DPO staff to implement elections and political process activities. •• EMBs and other government officials were often unaware of how the CRPD impacts their work. • Political parties were open to outreach with persons with disabilities, but hesitant to include them as party leaders or candidates. • Tension between the government and the Haitian community in the Dominican Republic55 made some aspects of the project, like voter registration, politically-sensitive issues. 54 Project: “Right to Choose” Manual for Best Practices and Lessons Learned. International Foundation for Electoral Systems. La Red Iberoamericana de Entidades de Personas con Discapacidad, May 12, 2012. <http://www.IFES. org/~/media/FBD32B2B184542CDA3D753431C4331C3.pdf>. 55 “Dominican Republic Overview.” World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples. Minority Rights Group International. <http://www.minorityrights.org/2565/dominican-republic/dominican-republic-overview.html>. 72 International Foundation for Electoral Systems and National Democratic Institute