Access is still a physical barrier that complicates voters with mobility challenges' experiences
By Khumo Moyane
“My voting experience was rather annoying because wheelchair accessibility was a serious issue.
I voted at Padisago Primary School in Soshanguve, which is close to where I stay. It was the second time I was voting at the school.
What was different this time for me was my mental growth. I have made an executive decision that places that are not wheelchair accessible I should discard the immediately.
When I went to vote I thought that special provisions would be made for people with disability and the elderly, that they would be allocated a classroom with no restrictions.
One of the IEC members saw me but did nothing, which annoyed me greatly. My father had to ask someone to assist us to go up the stairs.
I don’t like being picked because it emasculates me. I am all about living an independent life, but when I am picked up it defeats my purpose of living as an independent living. I could have fallen due to a misstep taken by those who were assisting me to get up on the stairs which could have been disastrous.
Other than that, I was really excited to vote for a political party of my choosing. It didn’t take me that long to cast my vote, because I went to the front of the line with my father.
My hopes for the provincial vote are for the distribution of power for balance. For the national ballot, I voted for the political sphere to change for better, for corruption to be eradicated, and for more employment for the youth.”
Other than that, my experience in voting for the elections was really exiting to put my vote for a political party of my choosing, it was packed 20-30 people+ where there waiting in line to cast their vote. It didn’t take me that long to cast my vote, due to structure of the classroom I went to front with my father to cast, it took us approximately 10-15 minutes to cast our vote. My hopes for the provincial vote are for the distribution of power should be balanced my hopes for the national vote is for the political sphere to change for better, corruption should be eradicated more job employment for the youth.
