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Resolution 2155 (2017)
The political rights of persons with disabilities: a democratic issue
1. Persons with disabilities are scarcely
visible on the political stage and are still too often considered
and treated as second-class citizens in most Council of Europe member
States. The Parliamentary Assembly expresses concern about the fact
that persons with disabilities face multiple challenges when trying
to exercise their political rights, related to accessibility, inadequate
support for the diversity of disabilities, an unjustified link between
legal capacity and the right to vote and the frequent reluctance
of political parties.
2. Political rights, such as the right to vote, stand for election
and be elected, are fundamental human rights. Ensuring respect for
the exercise of these rights by persons with disabilities does not
mean creating a set of new rights or special rights for a specific
category. Guaranteeing the respect of the political rights of persons with
disabilities is a democratic issue relevant to the whole population,
raising questions about the inclusiveness and efficiency of democratic
systems.
3. In this respect, the Assembly recalls that several Council
of Europe texts have already underlined the need to ensure full
participation of persons with disabilities in political and public
life, such as Assembly Resolution
1642 (2009) on access to rights for people with disabilities
and their full and active participation in society, Assembly Resolution 2039 (2015) on
equality and inclusion for people with disabilities and Committee of
Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2011)14 to the member States on
the participation of persons with disabilities in political and
public life.
4. The Assembly is convinced that the participation of persons
with disabilities in political life can contribute to breaking down
stereotypes, changing mindsets and combating overall discrimination.
Concrete measures can be taken to facilitate access to voting and
participation in elections, but they require political and financial commitments.
5. Political parties can play an essential role in tackling the
lack of rights awareness and encouraging active participation of
persons with disabilities. They can contribute to raising awareness
of the importance of inclusion and participation of all, without
discrimination, in political life.
6. The Assembly welcomes the adoption of the Council of Europe
Disability Strategy 2017-2023, which presents an ambitious set of
measures promoting the inclusion and participation of persons with
disabilities and calls for its swift implementation.
7. In the light of these considerations, the Assembly calls on
Council of Europe member and observer States, and States whose parliaments
enjoy observer or partner for democracy status with the Parliamentary Assembly
to:
7.1. ratify without delay, for
the States which have not yet done so, the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which specifies international
human rights standards for the protection of the rights of persons
with disabilities, and ensure its full implementation;
7.2. with regard to legal capacity:
7.2.1. delink the
right to vote from legal capacity and full guardianship and, recalling
Assembly Resolution 2039
(2015), replace substitute decision-making mechanisms
with supported decision-making mechanisms, in respect of their international
commitments;
7.2.2. ensure the protection and respect for the political rights
of persons living in long-term care establishments;
7.2.3. make complaints mechanisms concerning the right to vote
clear and accessible to all, irrespective of a person’s legal status;
7.3. with regard to combating discrimination against and stigmatisation
of persons with disabilities:
7.3.1. launch awareness-raising
campaigns on the political rights of persons with disabilities, together
with organisations representing persons with disabilities and disabled
persons’ organisations, in order to combat and break down stereotypes
with regard to their capacity to participate in elections and run
as candidates;
7.3.2. encourage visibility and participation of persons with
disabilities in electoral debates in the media, and the broadcasting
of political programmes and debates in accessible formats;
7.3.3. provide civic education in accessible formats;
7.4. with regard to accessibility of polling stations, information
and procedures, including electoral campaigns:
7.4.1. ensure
physical accessibility of public buildings, including polling stations,
national, regional and local parliaments and government buildings,
and guarantee that at least one polling station in every election
district provides full accessibility;
7.4.2. ensure the provision of information about electoral processes,
voting procedures and political programmes in accessible formats,
including in easy-to-read and easy-to-understand versions, with
sign interpretation when required, subtitles for videos and Braille
versions;
7.4.3. provide ballot papers in accessible formats and tactile
voting devices for blind people in at least one polling station
in every election district;
7.4.4. consider linking State funding of political parties to
their compliance with accessibility requirements for persons with
disabilities;
7.5. with regard to assistance with voting and to remote and
alternative voting:
7.5.1. provide, when requested, assistance
with voting via supported decision making, and respect for the voter’s
free will;
7.5.2. hold training on non-discrimination and assistance to
persons with disabilities for polling station officers and officers
in charge of voter registration, in co-operation with organisations representing
persons with disabilities and disabled persons’ organisations;
7.5.3. prepare and disseminate guidelines on assistance to voters
with all kinds of disabilities, in co-operation with organisations
representing persons with disabilities and disabled persons’ organisations;
7.5.4. set up mobile voting units and propose, when possible,
electronic voting for cases where persons with disabilities are
not in a position to go to a polling station;
7.6. with regard to active participation in elections:
7.6.1. systematise collection of data on the political participation
of persons with disabilities at national and local levels to ensure
that relevant support measures are taken;
7.6.2. consider the establishment of quotas for the participation
of persons with disabilities in parliamentary and local elections,
with a view to increasing participation and representation;
7.6.3. provide candidates with disabilities with additional financial
support to cover the extra costs they might incur for carrying out
electoral campaigns.
8. The Assembly, bearing in mind its Recommendation 1598 (2003) on the
protection of sign languages in the member States of the Council
of Europe and the European Parliament Resolution of 23 November
2016 on sign languages and professional sign language interpreters
(2016/2952(RSP)), also calls on the member States which have not
yet done so to recognise sign language as an official language.
9. The Assembly calls on national parliaments to not only guarantee
accessibility of premises but also ensure the broadcasting of parliamentary
debates and the provision of information on their websites in accessible
formats and, as standard, to cover costs for assistance to parliamentarians
with disabilities. It also calls on national parliaments to set
up systematic consultations with organisations representing persons
with disabilities and disabled persons’ organisations for the preparation
of any new draft law concerning the rights of persons with disabilities,
respecting the principle “Nothing about us without us”.
10. The Assembly encourages political parties to demonstrate their
commitment to making political life more inclusive and representative
by producing and disseminating accessible political manifestos and
ensuring accessibility of their meeting premises and events. Political
parties should promote participation and offer persons with disabilities
electable positions on electoral lists.
11. The Assembly recognises the essential role of organisations
representing persons with disabilities and disabled persons’ organisations
to promote the political participation of persons with disabilities
and calls for financial support for awareness-raising projects in
this field. Moreover, it encourages further co-operation between
parliaments, political parties and these organisations.
12. The Assembly decides to publish easy-to-understand versions
of its adopted resolutions and recommendations on the rights of
persons with disabilities on its website. The Assembly shall also
consider the feasibility of providing these texts in sign language
interpretation on its website.