Voter Education Good Practice A twin-track approach should be used for voter education; that is, there should be voter education specifically targeted toward persons with disabilities, as well as inclusion of persons with disabilities in mainstream voter education efforts. Mainstreaming the inclusion of persons with disabilities in voter education does not necessarily make activities more expensive. For example, EMBs and political parties can include an actor with a disability in their TV spots at no additional expense. In addition to the EMB and political parties conducting voter education, donors should support DPOs and CSOs to conduct voter education campaigns targeting persons with disabilities. This is especially relevant if specific training is required, such as on how to use a tactile ballot guide. Experience proves that voters are more likely to be aware of the guide and know how to use it if EMBs and DPOs educate poll workers and voters alike. Section 2 The Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections, a network of over 70 CSOs and faith-based groups, included a DPO as a partner. In the lead-up to the first South Sudanese elections, outreach targeted the general public with information on the welfare provision for vulnerable groups in the interim constitution of South Sudan. Voter education with specific outreach to persons with disabilities resulted in increased mobilization of voters with disabilities. Another result was the adaptability of the voter education outreach to other forms of participation by South Sudan’s marginalized populations. People with intellectual disabilities or those with low literacy can benefit from voter education materials in an easy-to-read format with pictures or from door-to-door voter education campaigns where they have a chance to speak to an educator in person. Image boxes are another tool used to conduct grassroots civic and voter education. During an image box session, a trained facilitator displays a series of images designed to elicit discussion among participants on election-related topics. Figure 5: Examples of Accessible Formats Accessible format Helps people who Audio Are blind or have low vision and people with low literacy Braille Are blind or have low vision Captions Are deaf or hard-of-hearing Easy-to-read Have intellectual disabilities, low literacy or are non-native speakers of the language Electronic text used with screen reading software Are blind or have low vision; have intellectual or learning disabilities or low literacy Large print (16-20 font size) Have low vision Pictures Have intellectual disabilities, low literacy or are non-native speakers of the language Sign language Are deaf or hard-of-hearing Tactile Are blind or have low vision but do not know Braille and people who are deaf-blind Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes 47