By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
Despite notable improvements in accessibility during the September 1, 2025, General and Regional Elections, persons with disabilities say more needs to be done to make polling stations truly inclusive and accessible.
The Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) launched its Elections Accessibility Audit and Observation Report on Wednesday, assessing 473 polling stations across the country.
According to Programme Manager Ganesh Singh, while 82.9% of polling stations were located on the ground floor, making them generally easier to access, many still presented significant physical barriers—particularly for wheelchair users.
“It was something that GECOM pledged—to try their best to find locations on the ground floor as much as possible,” Singh noted.
However, the report found that 72.7% of ramps at polling stations were poorly designed and unsafe, with many being too narrow, steep, or placed in areas inaccessible to wheelchairs. Additionally, only 23.9% of polling stations had accessible washrooms for persons with disabilities.
“While there might have been ramps at quite a few of the locations,” Singh explained, “they were not built to specifications. They were either too narrow, too steep, or located where a wheelchair couldn’t even reach.”
Despite these challenges, the report noted that 96.2% of voters with disabilities surveyed had a positive voting experience, reporting they were given enough time to cast their ballots and found the ballot easy to understand.
The GCOPD has recommended that future elections include step-free access, properly designed ramps, accessible washrooms, and more explicit legal provisions ensuring reasonable accommodations for all voters.
Delivering remarks at the launch, His Excellency Sébastien Sigouin, High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, reaffirmed Canada’s support for inclusive democratic participation and equal rights for all citizens.
“Accessibility is not a privilege—it is a right,” Sigouin emphasized. “We need to make elections more accessible, not just to strengthen the electoral process but also to enhance the integrity and inclusivity of the nation.”
He added that inclusivity must extend beyond elections, urging continued collaboration to raise awareness and challenge systemic barriers that exclude persons with disabilities.
“Beyond the elections, we must all continue to work together to raise awareness and challenge the systems that exclude persons with disabilities,” he said.
