The information disseminated on EMB websites should be accessible to persons with
disabilities. Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act provides guidelines that can be
used to ensure websites are accessible.39
There are also other accessibility guidelines
like the Daisy Consortium,40 Bobby Approved41 and the World Wide Web Consortium.42
In addition to knowing where to vote and
how the process works, persons with disabilities need information on political party
platforms and candidates in accessible formats to make informed decisions. Figure 5
provides examples of the most commonlyused accessible formats and describes who
will benefit from this type of information.
This image box was part of a series used in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
EMBs, political parties and CSOs should ensure budgets for voter education materials include costs of
distribution in accessible formats such as sign language, Braille, large print and easy-to-read text with pictures. Voter education materials that should be accessible include:
EMB websites
Print campaigns such as brochures, posters and e-mails
Public service announcements on TV and radio
Political party manifestos/platforms and information on candidates
39 United States. Department of Justice. Section 508 Overview. 1998. <http://www.justice.gov/crt/508/>.
40 Daisy Consortium. <http://www.daisy.org/>.
41 Coggan, Donald. “Bobby Approved Sites: Improving Web Accessibility For People With Disabilities.” <http://
www.bobby-approved.com/>.
42 World Wide Web Consortium. W3C. <http://www.w3.org/>.
48
International Foundation for Electoral Systems and National Democratic Institute