DFI National Access for All hosts voter education and Local Elections Manifesto discussion on #DsabilityVotesCount

The National Access for All initiative hosted a voter education workshop and Local Election manifesto discussion on 7 May.  Held online, the event brought together Access Groups around Ireland, aiming to foster an informed electorate and encourage active participation in the upcoming Local Elections. 

The day kicked off with a series of voter education sessions designed to demystify the electoral process and emphasize the importance of every vote in shaping local governance. These sessions, were led by DFI with the upport of our steering group which informed the participants about electoral policy and disability rights, covered essential topics such as voter registration, understanding ballots, and the significance of local elections in addressing community-specific needs. Cavan Disability Network has designed there own voting education leaflet which has been a huge help to all groups and would like to share it with others. 

Manifesto Discussion Highlights 

The latter half of the morning featured a vibrant discussion on Local Election manifestos which was presented by the Steering Group and DFI.  National Access for All has designed their own manifesto which highlights the need for a full time Disability Access Officer in each local authority who will be fully resourced. This very much aligns with DFI's Manifesto which is calling for the same thing. Click here for our manifesto. 

Looking Forward 

As the event concluded Áine O’Sullivan of National Access for All, expressed optimism about the future of inclusive voting. She said, "Today’s meeting not only equipped our community with the knowledge to make informed voting decisions but also reinforced the importance of accessibility in fostering an inclusive democratic process. We encourage everyone to support the #DisabilityVotesCount message as we head towards the Local Elections on 7 June.  

For those who missed the event, resources and session recordings are available, please contact Áine O’Sullivan.

ENDS