A COALITION of civil society organizations advocating for women's leadership and rights in Zanzibar has issued a call to political parties, urging them to ensure full participation of people with disabilities (PWDs) in ongoing campaign rallies ahead of the October 29 General Election.

The groups emphasize that failure to provide accessible environments denies PWDs their fundamental right to scrutinize party manifestos and make informed voting decisions.

The organizations involved in the appeal include the Zanzibar Association of Women with Disabilities (JUWAUZA), Pemba Environmental, Gender, Advocacy Organization (PEGAO), the Zanzibar Women Lawyers Association (ZAFELA) and Tanzania Media Women's Association Zanzibar (TAMWA-Zanzibar).

In a statement released to the media yesterday, the coalition expressed concern that some political parties have neglected the essential needs of PWDs during their rallies. This omission prevents this vital segment of the electorate—totaling 8,021 registered voters according to the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC)—from following party policies.

The statement lamented the prevalent inaccessibility, noting that campaign venues often lack basic enabling infrastructure. This includes the absence of sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired, large-print materials for the visually impaired, assistive listening devices to aid those with hearing difficulties and accessible physical infrastructure at rally grounds.

"The lack of these enabling infrastructures deprives people with disabilities of the opportunity to participate fully in the crucial campaign process that shapes the country's future," the statement reads.

The organizations pointed out that only one political party has consistently provided sign language interpreters, and even this accommodation is often limited to presidential candidate rallies. Accessibility in meetings for other positions, such as Representation, Parliamentary, and Councillorship seats, remains largely absent, save for a single constituency in the Urban West region.

The coalition strongly urged all political parties to emulate the few positive examples by ensuring that rally venues are easily accessible, providing large-print materials, and deploying assistive listening devices at all campaign stops for candidates across the board. This, they argued, is necessary to make participation meaningful and build a true, inclusive democracy.

The appeal rests firmly on both international and national legal frameworks. They cited Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 2006), which obligates states to ensure that PWDs live independently and have access to all services, communication, and technology. Furthermore, the Zanzibar Persons with Disabilities Act No. 8 of 2022, Section 29, explicitly mandates accessibility to infrastructure, information, communication, and all fundamental human rights.

"Given the rights granted to PWDs to participate fully in political campaigns, political party leaders have a responsibility to ensure this participation is realized without obstacles by putting in place friendly infrastructure at campaign grounds, providing easily accessible information, and enabling the availability of transport and assistive devices," the statement emphasized.

Finally, the organizations called on the ZEC and other stakeholders to incentivize political parties and candidates that proactively include PWDs. This step, they concluded, would encourage equality and demonstrate a robust model of inclusive democracy.