By Andrew Chokpeleh

Freetown, 11th September, 2026 – As Sierra Leone prepares for future general elections, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), in collaboration with the African Youth With Disabilities’ Network (AYWDN-SL) Sierra Leone, has conducted a validation workshop on the Commission’s Electoral Inclusion Policy.

The policy is designed to address barriers that have historically limited the full participation of persons with disabilities in the country’s electoral processes and to ensure that they have equal opportunities to register, access polling centres, cast their votes and participate meaningfully in elections.

Electoral Commissioner for the Western Region and Oversight Commissioner for the Electoral Inclusion Department, Zainab Umu Moseray, said the ECSL recognises that several barriers continue to prevent persons with disabilities from fully participating in elections. She explained that the Commission is working to train electoral officials to communicate effectively with different groups of persons with disabilities.

Moseray noted that election-related messages in previous elections did not always take into account the needs of persons with disabilities, particularly through the use of sign language and other accessible communication formats and materials.

Moseray further disclosed that the Commission intends to establish polling and voting centres that are more accessible to persons with disabilities. She said their participation was considered during the development of the Inclusion Policy, with the ECSL engaging persons with disabilities to better understand the challenges they face and the factors that make them feel excluded from electoral activities. According to her, the Commission has also made provisions in its budget to provide appropriate materials and communication resources to ensure that persons with disabilities can access electoral information and participate effectively in the democratic process.

Abubakarr Bangura, country coordinator for the African Youth With Disability Network Sierra Leone, said his organisation worked closely with the ECSL in developing the policy to ensure that persons with disabilities understood its contents and were actively involved in its validation. He stressed that the policy should not become a document that remained on the shelves of the Commission but should instead be translated into practical actions that would guarantee the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in upcoming elections.

Bangura said the organisation had received concerns from persons with disabilities who had previously been unable to fully participate in electoral activities, warning that their exclusion could undermine the country’s democratic process. He encouraged persons with disabilities to take advantage of the opportunities and provisions created by the new policy, noting that it provided a framework for greater inclusion and participation in elections.

Media and Public Relations Assistant at the Sierra Leone Union of Disability Issues, Mohamed Yayah Kanneh, highlighted broader challenges surrounding the political representation and participation of persons with disabilities. He said persons with disabilities remained significantly underrepresented in strategic and decision-making positions across the country.

Kanneh also alleged that some political parties have, at times, denied persons with disabilities access to party symbols because of perceptions that they might not be capable of effectively contesting political positions.

Kanneh acknowledged that political participation often requires substantial financial resources to fund campaigns and coordinate activities, which can create additional challenges for persons with disabilities seeking elective positions. He further raised concerns about the treatment of persons with disabilities by polling staff, saying some have experienced disrespect or difficulties accessing polling stations. He also pointed to the lack of disability-friendly facilities at some polling centres and the limited availability of election information in accessible formats.

Kanneh said many persons with disabilities struggle to understand electoral messages issued before, during and after elections, because such information is not consistently provided in formats that accommodate different disabilities. He expressed the Union’s willingness to support the ECSL by providing trained personnel who could assist the Commission in effectively communicating electoral information to persons with disabilities.

Stakeholders at the workshop stressed that the success of the policy will ultimately depend on its implementation, adequate resources, accessible infrastructure and sustained collaboration between the ECSL, disability organisations, political parties and other relevant institutions.

The validation of the Electoral Inclusion Policy comes amid renewed calls for a more inclusive electoral system in which persons with disabilities are not merely regarded as voters but are given meaningful opportunities to participate in all aspects of democratic governance.