On February 27, U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Richard Norland addressed legislative, societal and physical barriers that prevent the disability community in Georgia from achieving full political and electoral enfranchisement spoke at a conference in Tbilisi.

Georgians with disabilities face significant societal, physical, and legislative barriers to equal participation in their country’s electoral and political processes. A significant inhibiting factor for Georgia’s disability community is a lack of awareness, shortcomings in the electoral framework inadequacies of electoral procedures and full and equal access at polling stations.

Participants engaged on topics such as:  why the disability community should talk about political rights; the right to vote; unique barriers people with different disabilities encounter to full and equal political participation; and, the role of election management bodies in facilitating elections that are accessible. The conference included a voting simulation where participants will experience voting at an accessible and inaccessible polling station.