Section 5: Challenges There are many challenges to implementing inclusive democracy and governance programming. There is no consensus on how best to overcome some of these challenges and the situation may vary in different countries. Lack of Data Discrimination Section 5 Stakeholders lack reliable and comprehensive data regarding the number of persons with disabilities in individual countries. States that do count disability in their national censuses use different definitions and often estimate a number far below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 15 percent worldwide approximation. This can make it more difficult to convince local authorities and international donors that investing resources in disability inclusion should be a priority. Varying definitions of disability in each country also make it difficult to establish a baseline to monitor and evaluate programs. This image box was part of a series used in the Government officials, and even family members, make incor- Democratic Republic of the Congo to educate rect assumptions about the abilities of persons with disabili- the public on the voting process. ties. A report prepared by the Vietnamese Hanoi Independent Living Center found that of 50 families of persons with disabilities interviewed, half do not believe persons with disabilities need to vote because they “do not need to be concerned about political issues.”50 People often assume that fellow citizens with disabilities cannot be candidates or poll workers and that they are not interested in politics or that it does not affect their lives. One common reason why persons with disabilities do not have national ID cards or birth certificates is that their families did not think it was necessary. Family members are also sometimes unwilling to accompany their family members who might need assistance to the polling station or they do not have accessible transportation. Voter education that sensitizes the public to the rights of persons with disabilities can eradicate these stereotypes. “ I did not vote because my family did not feel comfortable letting me go since in that location there was gun shooting and a deaf person could be in larger risk. ” Janeris, young woman with a disability, Dominican Republic 50 Election Access for Persons with Disabilities in Vietnam. Hanoi Independent Living Center. AGENDA. 2013. Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes 63