Unapei demands accessibility of local elections in France

Unapei and its member organisations call on municipalities to improve the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in public life in France. Unapei demands the local government to empower persons with intellectual disabilities to become actors in political life and to make local services and places accessible for everyone.

Unapei stressed the fact that the local elections are crucial for shaping the accessibility and inclusiveness of local communities. Enabling people with intellectual disabilities to participate and interact in their local environment, and educating them to citizenship is the first step to the creation of inclusive communities.

Public places and services must be accessible as well and therefore the reforms in health care, transportation, housing, employment, culture and leisure would widen the possibilities of people with intellectual disabilities to participate in public life.

After the reform of legal protection in 2007, all people with intellectual disabilities gained a right to vote in France. Despite the law, the information about elections is often difficult to understand. Therefore voters with intellectual disabilities find it hard to form an opinion about the candidates and political parties as well as to make a rational decision on their ballot. Unapei thus disseminated easy-to-read information about all candidates and electoral process. Furthermore, Unapei with its member organisations called on municipalities to make polling stations accessible to people with intellectual disabilities.

You can find Unapei’s official statement calling for accessibility during the municipal elections here.

You can also find Unapei’s demands for the municipal elections in easy to read version here. Both documents are in French.