Vote4All.eu is a project funded by the European Union to promote citizens’ participation in European democracy by improving accessibility and inclusion for persons with cerebral palsy and complex disabilities. It is organised by CP-ECA and its partners Fight the Stroke Foundation (Italy), CP Nederland (Netherlands), Zveza Sonček (Slovenia), Porto CP Association and the Federation of Portuguese CP Associations (Portugal).
Universal suffrage implies that all persons of eligible age have the right to vote. For many persons with disabilities, this right exists in principle but not in practice. There are legal restrictions, physical barriers, technical complications etc.
Democratic participation also requires citizens to exercise their right to vote. When electoral candidates do not reflect the general population, it is inevitable that the motivation to vote will be diminished among those who feel underrepresented.
Persons with disabilities are excluded from the democratic process both by hurdles to their participation as voters and by a lack of representative candidates to support.
This project aims to address both sides of the coin. Through study visits to Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia, as well as to the EU capital in Brussels, it will highlight innovative solutions to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in the democratic process, and will train a select group of persons with disabilities who will be “democracy champions” in their respective countries to advocate for more inclusion and to improve the representation of persons with disabilities among electoral candidates.
The project began in June 2024 and will conclude in November 2025. More details will be announced in due course.
Disclaimer
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.