Introduction Introduction “ We have a moral duty to remove the barriers to participation, and to invest sufficient funding and expertise to unlock the vast potential of people with disabilities. ” Stephen Hawking Author, Physicist, Advocate World Health Organization World Report on Disability, 2011 Effective democratic development involves making sure the poorest and most marginalized have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their welfare. Yet persons with disabilities, often the poorest of the poor, are frequently overlooked and struggle to achieve a better quality of life. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 15 percent of the world’s population has a disability, with 80 percent of these persons living in developing countries, with potentially higher levels in post-conflict States. Democracy assistance programs can empower persons with disabilities to engage politically and become mainstream members of society with the rights, responsibilities and respect afforded to all citizens. People with disabilities represent various ethnic, religious, socioeconomic and gender groups. When such a large, cross-cutting portion of society is not participating politically, it prevents democracy from deepening and allowing all citizens a voice in the way they are governed. Persons with disabilities participate politically for a variety of reasons. In some cases, they are pursuing interests specifically tied to their disability, such as making public buildings accessible or having signlanguage interpretation in schools. In other cases, their interests coincide with wider segments of society when it comes to basic human needs, such as access to clean water, education for their children or developing a safe and secure community. Like all citizens, persons with disabilities want the opportunity to shape their communities and, in doing so, they can become recognized and valued community members. To achieve this status, persons with disabilities need to participate politically. Elections provide an opportunity for their power and influence to be exercised and strengthened. As with other citizens, elections are a fundamental way for persons with disabilities to express their preferences and shape political outcomes. Elections also allow persons with disabilities to develop leadership and organizing skills, build relationships, publicly raise issues important to them, demonstrate their abilities and set the stage for continual participation and leadership. For this reason, the election programs described in this manual are framed as ways to position persons with disabilities as equal, active and engaged citizens before, during and after elections. Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes 19