Inclusive Election Administration EMBs should be supported in the pre-electoral period to make their procedures accessible when it is easier and more costeffective to make “reasonable accommodations.” Article 2 of the CRPD describes reasonable accommodations as necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments that do not cause a disproportionate or undue burden. This is to ensure persons with disabilities exercise human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis as others. For example, designing a ballot with pictures of the candidates and/or party logos makes it easier for voters with intellectual disabilities to identify the different options. However, the decision to include pictures should be weighed against any potential discrimination that could be encountered based on ethnicity or gender. Good Practice The below is an example census question on disability endorsed by the Washington Group: 1. Do you have difficulty seeing, even if wearing glasses? a. No – no difficulty b. Yes – some difficulty c. Yes – a lot of difficulty d. Cannot do at all The budgeting process and development of EMB strategic plans should take disability inclusion into account. An easy way to ensure a disability perspective is included in this crucial stage is to hire persons with disabilities as EMB officials. All EMB officials should receive training on international standards, such as those included in the CRPD, and training on how to include persons with disabilities in the electoral process. Encouraging governments to count the number of persons with disabilities in their census provides relevant data to election administrators. Using standardized questions, such as those of the Washington Group,35 can help systematize data collection. These questions are helpful because they ask about barriers persons with disabilities encounter rather than asking about specific types of disabilities. This method is more effective because some people might be hesitant to disclose their particular disability and the definition of disability might vary depending on country context. From an EMB’s perspective, these questions simplify the process of identifying what type of accommodation a voter needs. For example, they do not need to know a voter has a spinal cord injury; they just need to know that the voter’s polling center should be accessible. The EMB and DPOs conduct joint roundtable on integrating persons with disabilities into the electoral process in Libya. 35 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Census Questions on Disability Endorsed by the Washington Group.” <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/washington_group/WG_Short_Measure_on_Disability.pdf>. 42 International Foundation for Electoral Systems and National Democratic Institute