Our Rights Campaign-Final Monitoring Report

We would like to thank all of our volunteers, our final monitoring report will be out in a few days.

Violation in Saida has been fixed

The elevator at the polling station at the Aisha Emm Moumeneen School has now become operational since 1:30 pm and persons with physical special needs are now able to vote.

Violations' Updates 2

Violations until 2:30 PM

Time: 11:21 am
Violation: Although they have ramps PWD had to be carried up the stairs cause of the crowded entrance and the overall crowded area.
Location: Ashrafiyeh- Sagesse High School

Time: 11:24 AM
Violation: Crowded area prevents PWD from reaching the polling station – Stairs and no elevators – Sound recording for a PWD is available.
Location: Omar Zanay Public School- Beirut Airport Road

Time: 1:30pm
Violation: Persons with Special Needs could not vote because the security stopped the elevator from operating.
Location: Omar Zanay Public School- Beirut Airport Road

Time: 1:30pm
Violation: Persons with Special Needs could not vote because the entrance to the polling stations was to narrow.
Location: Omar Zanay Public High School- Beirut Airport Road

Time: 2:00 pm
Violation: Two persons with special needs were forced to go to the second floor with no assistance because the elevator was not operational.
Location: Omar Zanay Public High School- Beirut Airport Road

Now Lebanon: The Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union complains of difficulties for disabled voters

The Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union (LPHU) on Sunday filed a complaint to the Interior Ministry saying that disabled citizens cannot access polling stations located on the second floor of buildings and that the problem must be resolved.

Nabatiyeh Governor Mahmoud al-Mawla also announced that he called Interior Minister Ziad Baroud and asked him to provide better facilities for disabled voters so they can be comfortable and vote freely.
-NOW Staff

Violations' Updates

Violations till 10:26 am
Time: 9:24 am
Violation: PWD Voting on the first & second floor (& steps all over prevenmting PWD to vote)
Location: Shmistar High school – Shmistar Elementary school– Baalbek public school.

Time: 9:35 am
Violation:Didn’t have access to the elevator – the security refused to grant access.
Location: School Aisha Emm Moumeneen/Saida

Time: 9:47 am
Violation: PWD Voting on the first & second floor with no elevator & no ramps – Tables too low
Location: Abdel Latif Fayyad Elementary Public School /Nabatiyeh

Time: 10:10 am
Violation: Voting at first floor.Stairs & no elevators
Location: Rafic Al Hariri school 2/ Beirut

Time: 10:24 am
Violation: No accessible polling stations
Location: Mashghara

Our Rights Campaign on Election Day

Our Rights Campaign 2009 will be present in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa monitoring the electoral process for persons with special needs as well as sitting in at selected polling stations to raise awareness among Lebanese voters on the rights of persons with special needs. Our Rights Campaign will also monitor any other electoral violations that there volunteers will see on Election Day. You can keep up to date with all the election day news on this blog.

Call for Volunteer!

“Our Rights Campaign” - The National Campaign to establish the politicalrights of persons with special needs in Lebanon - will be working in all theLebanese regions during the elections day including Beirut were we kindly ask all intrested persons to help handeling the following tasks:

- Assisting people with disability to access the polling station and vote
-Logistics (distributing food, water...)
-Monitoring the elections with respect to accessibility.

Should you need any more info, please do not hesitate to contact us at LPHU: 01/307365(6)Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Our Rights Campaign

“Our Rights” campaign - National Campaign to establish the political rights of persons with special needs in Lebanon - was implemented by the alliance of the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union and the Youth Association for the Blind in 2005 and ongoing until the implementation of these rights.There is little awareness on the difficulties experienced by persons with special needs in ensuring their participation in the political process.

The right to vote is a fundamental right for all segments of the population that needs to be attained and protected.The civil and political rights of these persons in choosing their representative is a necessary condition for an effective integration of their key issues into public policy on a local and national level. In the year 2000, the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union lobbied the Lebanese government to pass a progressive law for the rights of the disabled dealing with rights like access to health, education and employment featured in the draft.

However, Law 220 continues to not be implemented to this day, thus highlighting the importance of the participation of this vulnerable group in choosing representatives that will push for the implementation of this law.Our Rights Campaign close colloboration with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities has resulted in many positive results on the ground. On a policy level the Decree that was passed by the Council of Ministers on May 13th 2009 which gave the government the tools to make the voting process for persons with special needs more accessible was one of the campaign's major achievements.
Also, the Ministry of Interior has also pledged to help make some polling stations accessible for the 2009 municipal elections in coordination with the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union.

Our Rights Campaign hopes to build on the work that was done for this election for future elections.

"Our Rights" TV spot 2009