Tactile Ballot Guide, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia for EurasiaNet 2007

As Chedomir Flego, Head of IFES in Armenia, mentioned in the recent interview I held with him last month, one innovation to be introduced for the parliamentary election is a tactile ballot guide to help blind people vote. On Saturday, Flego held a meeting with representatives of Armenia’s blind community to discuss the early test guides and to solicit feedback on how they can be improved before they are finalized.

Here’s how Flego described them in the interview.

We have selected a group of NGOs representing various groups with disabilities in Armenia, and one of the first projects will be to construct wheelchair ramps at selected polling stations where the presence of disabled voters is known. At the same time, wheelchairs can fit under tables and booths so they can vote in private as every other voter would.

[…] The second part of the project concerns blind voters, and we’re introducing what we call a tactile ballot guide — a special folder with squares cut out so that a blind person can vote in private and in secret without the assistance of another person. A regular ballot can be inserted in the guide with the cutout for each box where you mark your choice, and beside each will be a raised bump.

Through NGOs we will produce an audio guide informing blind voters which candidate is at which position on the ballot paper, and we’ll be announcing this on Friday in Yerevan with the disability groups.

The third part concerns itself with voter information. Disability groups have often said that they just don’t receive the same amount of information and they’re now working with the CEC so that all of the Public Service Announcements (PSAs) broadcast on television will include sign language. There are a series of activities like that, plus posters, leaflets, and other materials which will either be in large print for those who have problems with their eyesight, sign language or available as audio recordings.

Overall, feedback was positive with Flego eager to point out that this guide can be considered an important precedent in the post-Soviet space. He also said that 4,000 will probably be printed and distributed to polling stations across the country in three versions given the specific requirements of voting under the majoritarian and proportional systems.

However, a number of requests were made such as making the card the guide is made of thicker with the braille more prominent. Flego said that these suggestions were welcomed and IFES will discuss the matter with the local printer.

Tactile Ballot Guide, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia for EurasiaNet 2007