The European elections will happen in May. People will vote in every European country. In Spain people will vote on 25 May. In the elections, people in Europe will choose new members of the European Parliament. The European Parliament decides on laws for all of Europe. There are many candidates who want to be part of the European Parliament. People with intellectual disabilities in Spain want to have a say in the European elections. In Spain there is a project helping people with disabilities take part in the election. The project is called ‘My vote counts’. FEAPS made the project. FEAPS is a Spanish organization, part of Inclusion Europe. |
In light of the 2014 European Parliament elections, FEAPS is re-launching the ‘My vote counts campaign’ (‘Mi voto cuenta’, in Spanish), previously run during Spanish national and local elections. The campaign raises awareness on the right to vote of persons with intellectual disabilities, which is supported by Art.29 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The campaign tries to counter obstacles many people with intellectual or developmental disabilities face in exercising their voting rights. It also promotes equal voting rights and the accessibility of information and campaign materials provided by politicians, as voting restrictions are in direct discrimination of people with disabilities. Restricted voting concerns up to 80,000 Spanish nationals, who have been deprived of their legal capacity and thus hindered from exercising this fundamental right inherent to being a citizen.
Moreover, against the backdrop of the European elections, FEAPS also plans to highlight the importance of full inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the European public life, efforts reunited under theslogan ‘We ALL are Europe’(‘Europa SomosTod@s’, in Spanish).
During the course of the campaign, FEAPS has planned various activities, such as meetings between self-advocates and candidates from political parties, the Electoral Board and Members of the European Parliament, with the aim of directly communicating their demands and expectations. Furthermore, the organisation also plans to develop a wide media campaign and report live on any infringements committed during the May 25 elections on the My vote counts online platform.
FEAPS is a Spanish association defending the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
For more information, go to www.mivotocuenta.es.