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How people with disabilities take part in politics

A report from Peru

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|Introduction |[pic][pic] |

| |[pic] |

|This is a report about people with disabilities | |

|who live in a country called Peru. |[pic] |

| | |

|The report says how people with disabilities in Peru | |

|take part in politics. |[pic] |

| | |

|This report was done by ‘Human Rights Watch.’ |[pic] |

| | |

|‘Human Rights Watch’ is a group of people who check | |

|if people in different countries can use their rights. | |

| | |

|It is important for people with disabilities |[pic] |

|to take part in politics. | |

| |[pic] |

|When people with disabilities take part in politics, |[pic] |

|they can have a say in the way their country is run. | |

| | |

|People take part in politics in different ways: | |

|They can vote in elections. | |

|This means they can choose who they want |[pic] |

|to run their country, region or city. | |

| |[pic] |

|They can stand for election. | |

|This means they become a candidate in elections. | |

| |[pic] |

|They can give their opinion on decisions | |

|that are important for their country, region or city. | |

| |[pic] |

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| | |

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|Rights of people with disabilities in Peru |[pic] |

| |[pic] |

|United Nations is a group of countries | |

|that work together to make the world a better place. |[pic] |

| | |

|Almost all countries in the world | |

|are part of the United Nations. | |

| |[pic] |

|The Convention of the United Nations | |

|on the rights of persons with disabilities | |

|is an agreement between countries. |[pic] |

| | |

|In this Convention, countries agreed to make sure that | |

|people with disabilities have the same rights as anyone else, |[pic] |

|for example by making fair laws and decisions. | |

| |[pic] |

|Peru was one of the first countries | |

|that agreed to the Convention. | |

|This means Peru agreed to make sure that | |

|people with disabilities have the same rights as others. | |

| | |

|Peru already made some laws and decisions |[pic] |

|to make things better for people with disabilities. |[pic] |

| |[pic] |

|For example: | |

|There is a national council for persons with disabilities. |[pic] |

|The Council advises government on how to make things better for people with disabilities. | |

| |[pic] |

|There is a person that helps people with disabilities | |

|to get their rights. | |

|This person is called ‘ombudsman.’ |[pic] |

| | |

|However, there are still many laws in Peru | |

|that stop people with disabilities from having all of their rights. |[pic] |

|This is particularly true for people with intellectual disabilities | |

|and mental health problems. | |

| | |

|The right to vote |[pic] |

| | |

|When people vote in elections, | |

|they can choose who will run your country, region or city. |[pic] |

| | |

|The Convention says that people with disabilities | |

|have the same right to vote as anyone else. |[pic] |

| | |

|In Peru, many people with disabilities do not vote. |[pic] |

|There are different reasons why people with disabilities | |

|do not vote. |[pic] |

| | |

|Many people with intellectual disabilities |[pic] |

|or mental health problems cannot vote. | |

| | |

|This is because they are not allowed | |

|to make important decisions by themselves. |[pic] |

|Another person called a ‘guardian’ makes decisions | |

|for them. | |

| | |

|People who have a guardian lose many rights. For example, they cannot |[pic] |

|get married, | |

|work, | |

|rent a house, or |[pic] |

|vote. |[pic] |

| | |

|This is against the Convention! |[pic] |

|Everyone must be able to make his or her own decisions. | |

|Everyone must have the right to vote. |[pic] |

| |[pic] |

| |[pic] |

|Some people with disabilities do not have identity cards. |[pic] |

| |[pic] |

|Many people with disabilities who live in institutions |[pic] |

|or in the countryside still do not have an identity card. |[pic] |

|Without the identity card, they cannot vote. | |

| |[pic] |

|Some people with disabilities are not |[pic] |

|in the voter registry. |[pic] |

| | |

|Voter registry is a list all the people who can vote. | |

| | |

|In Peru, people with intellectual disabilities | |

|and mental health problems were erased | |

|from the voter registry. | |

|This is because: | |

|They do not have an identity card. | |

|They have an identity card which says | |

|they cannot vote. | |

| | |

|People who organize the voter registry now admit that | |

|erasing people with disabilities from the voter register | |

|is wrong. | |

| | |

|People with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems are allowed to vote and | |

|should be on the voter registry. | |

| | |

|People who organize the voter registry in Peru promised to get things right. | |

| | |

|People with disabilities may have problems when they want to take part in elections. | |

| | |

|People with disabilities often find it hard to take part in elections. | |

|For example: | |

|The polling stations are hard to find and enter. | |

|Information about elections and voting is difficult | |

|to read and understand. | |

|It is difficult to fill in the ballot paper. | |

| | |

|The law in Peru says that voting must be accessible | |

|for people with disabilities. | |

| | |

|But people who organize elections know little about | |

|helping a person with disability to vote. | |

| | |

|There is also no help for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems who want to vote. | |

| | |

|The right to be a candidate in elections | |

| | |

|People with disabilities in Peru have the right | |

|to stand for election. | |

|This means they can be candidates in elections. | |

| | |

|But it is often hard for people with disabilities | |

|to be a candidate. | |

| | |

|For example: | |

| | |

|People with disabilities find it difficult | |

|to join a political party. | |

| | |

|A political party is a group of people who share | |

|the same ideas about how the country should be run. | |

|Most candidates in elections are part of a political party. | |

| | |

|Places where meetings take place | |

|are hard to find and enter. | |

| | |

|For example, if there is no lift or ramp | |

|and a person in the wheelchair cannot | |

|get to the meeting room. | |

| | |

|It is often difficult for people with disabilities to work with media such as television, radio or newspapers. | |

| | |

|People with disabilities often find it hard | |

|to find out what is being said about elections | |

|in the media. | |

| | |

|The last elections in Peru were in 2011. | |

|In these elections, only 13 candidates had disabilities. | |

| | |

|5 candidates with disabilities won. | |

|This means that 5 candidates with disabilities | |

|got enough votes and became members of Congress. | |

| | |

|Congress is the parliament of Peru. | |

|The Congress agrees the laws of Peru. | |

| | |

|Peru made some laws to have more people with disabilities | |

|taking part in politics. | |

| | |

|But much more needs to be done. | |

| | |

|According to the law, city councils and regional governments | |

|must have special offices called agencies. | |

|The role of these agencies is to make sure that | |

|more people with disabilities take part in the way their city | |

|or region is run. | |

| | |

|In reality, only few cities and regions have such agencies. | |

| | |

|Many countries and organizations help Peru | |

|to improve the way the country is run. | |

| | |

|These countries and organizations should also help | |

|to make sure that people with disabilities | |

|can take part in politics as anyone else. | |

| | |

|What needs to be done | |

| | |

|‘Human Rights Watch’ has some ideas on | |

|how to make sure people with disabilities | |

|can use their right to take part in politics just as anyone else. | |

| | |

|‘Human Rights Watch’ says that | |

|the government of Peru should do the following: | |

| | |

|Change the laws as agreed in the Convention of the | |

|United Nations on the rights of persons with disabilities. | |

| | |

|Make sure that people with disabilities | |

|can make their own decisions. | |

| | |

|First, Peru should change the law so that | |

|all people with disabilities can make their own decisions. | |

| | |

|The government should make sure that people with disabilities can get help if they need it to make their own | |

|decisions. | |

| | |

|The government should talk to people with disabilities | |

|and their organizations to find the best way | |

|of how to do this. | |

| | |

|Keep track of how many people with disabilities live in Peru and what their needs are. | |

|This will help to protect their rights. | |

| | |

|Make sure that public places and buildings are easy to find and enter for all. | |

| | |

|Make sure that people who organize elections, | |

|policeman, judges, and politicians know about the rights and needs of people with disabilities. | |

| | |

|Give training to people organizing elections on how to help people with disabilities during elections. | |

| | |

|Involve people with disabilities in this training. | |

| | |

|Make information about elections easy to read and understand for all, including the blind, the deaf and | |

|people with intellectual disabilities. | |

| | |

|Make sure everyone knows about the rights | |

|of people with disabilities. | |

| | |

|Make sure that people with disabilities and their families | |

|know about their rights. | |

| | |

|Talk to people with disabilities, their families and organizations about the help they need to take part | |

|in politics. | |

| | |

| | |

|This easy to read version of the text was prepared by Inclusion Europe following the European standards for making | |

|information easy read and understand.easy-to-read.eu. | |

|© European Easy-to-Read Logo: Inclusion Europe. | |

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