The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) has said it has plans to engage sign language interpreters to help sensitise deaf and dumb voters on polling unit procedure in Kogi State.
Mrs Dorothy Bello, the commission’s Head of civil society organisations division, disclosed this on Tuesday in Lokoja at the opening of a one -day sensitisation workshop organised by the INEC for signs Language interpreters.
Bello said that the interpreters who will work as volunteers were being engaged to help the hearing-impaired people to understand what is being said in a variety of situations on election day.
She said they must understand the subject matter of discourse so that they can accurately translate what is being spoken into sign language, hence, the need for the sensitisation.
The Director said that it was the intention of the commission to conduct a free, fair and credible governorship election on Nov. 16, saying that the effort was to make sure that the election was inclusive.
“ There is need for people living with disabilities to make informed choices in voting which is basically a function of knowledge of the process and procedure”, She said.