Moroccan disability advocates call for accessible voting ahead of Sept. 23 election

As Morocco prepares for legislative elections on Sept. 23, disability rights advocates are calling for more accessible voting procedures and greater attention to the political rights and concerns of people with disabilities.

The advocates say voters with disabilities should be able to cast their ballots independently and with dignity, while political parties should address disability rights in their electoral programs rather than limiting the issue to general campaign rhetoric.

Ahmed Berquia, secretary-general of the Arab Forum for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, called for simplified voting procedures and greater inclusion of disability-related issues across the electoral process.

Berquia told Hespress AR that successive elections have been accompanied by civil society advocacy aimed at ensuring that disability rights receive greater attention during elections.

He said that attention should extend to political party programs, election administration and all other actors involved in organizing the vote.

“It is not possible to speak of democratic, fair and inclusive elections without asking what place people with disabilities have in these elections,” Berquia said.

He said the issue had been raised repeatedly during previous electoral terms, but expressed concern that disability rights continue to appear in political slogans without being reflected in detailed party platforms.

Berquia said political parties that campaign on social justice and equality should address the rights of people with disabilities more specifically, including their rights to vote and stand for election.

He argued that electoral commitments should go beyond general language and translate principles into concrete measures.

“Part of the citizens whom political parties address during elections are people with disabilities,” he said, adding that their concerns should therefore be reflected in the programs on which parties seek a political mandate.

Berquia said people with disabilities continue to face what he described as neglect, marginalization and exclusion. He also criticized what he called the use of disability issues as a rhetorical element in political discourse without corresponding administrative and practical measures.

Nadia Attia, president of the Moroccan Federation of Associations Working in the Field of Intellectual Disability, called on the Interior Ministry, local authorities and all bodies overseeing the elections to ensure that people with disabilities can exercise their right to vote under conditions guaranteeing dignity, independence and equality.

Attia told Hespress AR that this requires effective physical access to polling stations, including ground-floor voting rooms and accessible entrances and passageways.

She stressed that accessibility measures should take into account different types of disabilities rather than focusing exclusively on people with mobility impairments.

Access to electoral information is also essential, Attia said, calling for information to be provided in accessible formats, including sign-language interpretation and simplified language, as well as appropriate tools for blind and visually impaired voters.

She also called for people with disabilities to receive assistance when necessary while ensuring the secrecy of the ballot and the voter’s freedom of choice.

Attia urged authorities to train polling-station staff on how to assist and communicate with voters with disabilities respectfully and appropriately.

She also called for a clear and rapid mechanism for reporting barriers that prevent people with disabilities from exercising their right to vote.

The federation’s president further advocated involving disability organizations in assessing the accessibility and readiness of polling stations, saying their participation could help identify obstacles and evaluate whether adequate conditions are in place.

The calls come as Morocco’s electoral authorities prepare for the Sept. 23 vote to elect members of the House of Representatives. The election campaign runs through midnight Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Separately, Morocco’s audiovisual regulator has introduced requirements aimed at making election programming more accessible to people with disabilities, including the use of sign-language interpretation, subtitles and audio description when necessary.

For disability advocates, however, accessibility extends beyond election coverage and information. They are calling for practical measures at polling stations and greater inclusion of disability rights in the political programs presented to voters.

“The people with disabilities are full citizens,” Attia said, arguing that their participation in political life should be treated as a right rather than a privilege.