“ I think for persons with disabilities to be able to vote and to be part of that process really links us to society, and to the broader citizenry of the country in which we live, so it’s a very serious issue. ” Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo Coordinator for Disability Inclusive Development, USAID There are also regional standards, such as the Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community23 and the Venice Commission’s Revised Interpretative Declaration to the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters on the Participation of People with Disabilities.24 Disability Policies among Development Aid Agencies Many aid agencies have adopted cross-cutting disability inclusion policies to ensure persons with disabilities are included in and positively impacted by development programs.25 Such policies help prioritize disability inclusion and provide frameworks to guide the actions of development practitioners. The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) put forward one of the most comprehensive disability inclusion policies in 2008 titled “Development for All.”26 Written in consultation with DPOs and responsible government institutions across 20 aid-recipient countries, the strategy’s primary outcome is to “support people with disability to improve the quality of their lives through better access to the same opportunities for participation, contribution, decision-making and social and economic wellbeing as others.” As part of this strategy, AusAID also directs resources to reducing preventable impairments with programs focused on areas such as road safety and avoidable blindness. In addition to this targeted policy, AusAID included “enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities” as one of the 10 overall development objectives in Australia’s aid policy. An evaluation of the Development for All strategy conducted in 2012 revealed the dedicated funding, explicit guidelines and dedicated staff both in Canberra and various posts across the globe led to significant improvements in the lives of persons with disabilities in recipient countries.27 Court of Human Rights. <http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx?i=001-98800>. 23 Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community.” <http://www.asean.org/archive/documents/19th summit/ Bali_Declaration_on_Disabled_Person.pdf>. 24 Council of Europe and Venice Commission. “Revised Interpretative Declaration to the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters on the Participation of People with Disabilities in Elections.” <http://www.venice.coe.int/ webforms/documents/CDL-AD(2011)045.aspx>. 25 A compilation of disability inclusion policies put together by Mobility International is available at: http://www. miusa.org/idd/resources/dispolicies/index_html. 26 Australian Agency for International Development. “Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014.” <http://aid.dfat.gov.au/Publications/Pages/8131_1629_9578_8310_297.aspx>. 27 Linda Kelly and Lorraine Wapling. Australia. Australian Agency for International Development. AusAID Development for All Strategy: Mid-Term Review. 2012. <http://aid.dfat.gov.au/aidissues/did/Documents/dfa-mtr. pdf>. 32 International Foundation for Electoral Systems and National Democratic Institute