Ashaiman EC schools visually impaired on voting

The Ashaiman District of the Electoral Commission (EC) has walked some members of the Greater Accra Regional (GAR) branch of the Ghana Blind Union (GBU) through the processes of the December 7 general elections at a day’s workshop at Ashaiman SHS.

Besides the Covid-19 protocols, which the participants were told would be strictly adhered to at the various polling centers, they were educated on how to use the Titan jacket when they enter the booth to thumb print for their preferred presidential and parliamentary candidates.

Each presidential Titan jacket has square holes with knobs, beside each hole representing the position of each presidential candidate on the ballot paper.

Similarly, a Titan jacket for parliamentary candidates with knobs beside each square hole, representing the position of the candidate on the ballot paper would be provided to the eligible visually impaired voters.

Though the exercise was meant for the GBU members in Ashaiman, the President of the GAR branch of the GBU, Michael Agbetsoamedo told The Chronicle in an interview that he further extended the invitation to his municipal and metropolitan leaders to participate in the workshop to be ambassadors in their respective districts.

 

“The GAR GBU had written letters to all the assemblies in the region to financially resource us to hold this workshop for our members in each district, but, for three months now, none of the recipients had replied to our request. So, when the Ashaiman District office of the EC served my office this short notice to school us on the use of the jacket and the need to observe the Covid-19 health protocols at the polling centers, and considering the limited days we have to go to the polls, I extended the invitation to some of my members in other districts in the region to come and learn so that when they go back, they would educate their members on the use of the Titan jacket.

“I have members from La-Nkwatanang, Tema West and East, Kpone-Katamanso, Krowor, Ashaiman and Ledzekuku Municipalities and I am satisfied with the attendance, considering the short notice I dispatched to my members for the workshop,” MrAgbetsoamedo explained.

He said the Titan jacket would afford the visually impaired voters the independence to choose their choice of presidential and parliamentary candidates “because this time, my members would not need the assistance of an EC personnel, a family relation or friend to put their thumb on a candidate in the booth.

“The number of knobs on the jacket tells my members the position of the presidential and parliamentary candidates. So, for instance, one knob on the presidential jacket represents Nana Addo and the NPP, two knobs represent John Mahama and the NDC and so on and so forth.

“And for me as the GAR GBU President, I am so happy that the Ashaiman EC has held this very important workshop for me and my members.”

MrAgbetsoamedo, however, suggested to the EC to pin the ballot papers in the jackets to prevent his members from wrong thumb printing.

“The suggestion by the GAR GBU President that the ballot papers are pinned or clipped in the jackets to prevent wrong thumb printing is welcomed and I’ll communicate that to my boss,” Nana SerwaahAmankwah, a representative from the Ashaiman District EC office, on behalf of her superior, told The Chronicle in an interview at the center for the workshop.

She explained that the EC had trained its personnel on the use of the Titan jacket and on the need to assist the visual impaired and all physically challenged eligible persons who go to the polls.

“Strict adherence to the Covid-19 health protocols would be observed. We have demonstrated the processes from when the voter enters the polling station to entering the booth to cast their ballot here, and the EC is hopeful that there will be full compliance of everything we have demonstrated here,” Nana Serwaah said.

She, like MrAgbetsoamedo, was happy with the turnout “and the EC hopes that those here would go and be ambassadors at their respective districts on the features of the Titan jacket and how to vote in the booth.”

To identify the top position of the jacket, a visually impaired person must run their finger on the edges of the jacket until they feel three small curves.

When the top position of the jacket is felt, the member, then, runs the finger downward to feel the knobs to choose their choice of candidate.

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