Disabled voters hope for better arrangement

Disabled voters hope for better arrangement

Tiarma Siboro and Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Tangerang

People with a variety of disabilities did their best to
exercise their constitutional rights but hoped that arrangements
would be better the next time round.

Blind people, in a number of places, spent up to 30 minutes
casting their votes. Antara quoted blind voters in Denpasar,
Bali, as saying that the General Elections Commission (KPU)
should have provided ballot papers in braille.

"I'm blind and my hearing is not so good either. It was so
difficult to hear my assistant, as he whispered to me the names
of political parties and legislative candidates listed on the
ballot papers," said Ngurah Sujendra, 35, who was assisted by his
teacher while he cast his vote.

Others added that apart from ballot papers in braille, they
needed information on the legislative candidates in braille long
before the election took place. This was to ensure not only their
confidentiality in voting but also to be informed as well as
possible about the choices available to them.

The commission has said that ballot papers in braille will
only be available for the direct presidential election, scheduled
for July 5. In 1999 the government also failed to provide ballot
papers in braille for some 1.8 million blind voters, citing the
lack of funds.

Former Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur, who is partly blind, and
his wife, who uses a wheelchair, were assisted when voting at the
polling station in front of their home in Ciganjur, South
Jakarta. Gus Dur was assisted by his daughter, Zannuba Arifah
Chafsoh Rahman. He is a founder of the National Awakening Party
(PKB), which has named him as its presidential candidate.

In Bekasi, West Java, people with disabilities complained
about the large, broadsheet size of the ballot papers.

"I cannot use my right hand, so I needed my son to help me
open the papers," Siswadi said just after he left a polling
station in Pekayon Jaya, South Bekasi.

In Tangerang, some 1,000 lepers went by pedicab to five
polling stations at the Sitanala Leprosy Hospital complex in
Karangsari subdistrict.

"Although we cannot walk and have lost fingers and toes, we
were happy to vote because election committee members helped us,"
said Deddy, 39, one of the lepers.

Deddy also lost his sight in 1999. He contracted leprosy in
1984.

Committee members at the hospital complex also included
lepers.

One of them, Hamid Balakoli, said, "I'm happy to help the
others although my leg has also been affected by leprosy."

Those accompanying people with disabilities at the polling
booths were requested to sign notices saying that they had
assisted or voted on behalf of the concerned voter. Apart from
the blind and those in wheelchairs, such voters also included
people who were recovering from stroke.