By Augustine Agyapong
Goaso, (A/R), Nov. 18, GNA – Some visually-impaired electorates in the Ahafo region have undergone training on the proper use of the Tactile Jacket, ahead of the December 7, polls.
The tactile jacket is voting equipment provided by the Electoral Commission (EC) to assist the visually impaired to cast their ballot.
According to Mr Gideon Yeboah, the Asunafo North Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), the training was to educate, particularly, the first-time voters on the use of the tactile jackets to enable them to vote appropriately on December 7.
The Municipal Directorate of the EC organised the day’s training which also sensitised the participants on the voting process.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Goaso, the regional capital on the side-lines of the training, Mr Yeboah also called on the caregivers to assist the visually impaired and accompany them to their various polling stations in the region to cast their ballot on time.
With the jacket, he said the visually impaired electorates would be able to identify their preferred choice of candidates and vote for them accordingly.
“We are assuring them the availability of the tactile ballot to enable them to cast their votes for their choices of candidates,” Mr Yeboah stated, and entreated the visually impaired voters to ensure that only their caregivers took them to the polling stations.
Mr Kwaku Atibilla, the Ahafo Regional Secretary of Ghana Blind Union (GBU) expressed appreciation to the EC for the training and called on the commission to ensure that the jackets were made available at all the polling stations across the region in order that none of the electorates would be disenfranchised.
GNA